On Wednesday 24 February, a key date in the ecological calender, MPs will be given the legislatory floor to determine a Bill amendment (made over four years ago) which could take an active role in driving out high emissions by law.
Ecowarriors up and down the country have been keeping a wide eye open for the outcome of the forthcoming parliamentary debate. Greenpeace, for example, has been a custodian for the Bill amendment since its inception but has recently increased its support by shepherding green-thinkers to write to their local MPs in order to secure votes.
As it stands, the Government’s Energy Bill is weaken by loopholes that allow high emissions from new-build power coal stations. The amendment made to the Energy Bill – in its widest respects – turns its focus on renewable energy sources in direct opposition to fossil fuel power stations.
Alan Simpson MP, who proposed the amendment over four years ago, was supported by 33 Labour MPs – then Gordon Brown’s largest Common rebellion. Today he remains the figure head for the campaign and still supports his comments made when the suggested amendment was originally overturned:
“This is an important message for Gordon Brown. On the eve of the local government elections he had the biggest Labour rebellion of his premiership. What drove the Labour MPs to vote against the government was the certainty that we have very little time to get serious about climate change.
“Britain’s programme is not fit for purpose. We need measures that bring us into the 21st century and feed-in tariffs are the way to do it.”
The amendment proposed the utilisation of more diverse sources of renewable energy, with feed-in tariffs heading the pack. Such incentives would may provide Britain with a viable financial incentive for homes, businesses and communities to support and install green energy technology in the fight against climate change. Feed-in tariffs, for instance, have been highly successful in EU countries and have led to increased interest and financial investment for growing and emergent green-technology markets.
Back when Mr Simpson first proposed the Bill amendment, Britain had envisaged a rise of renewable energy use to only 5%. This, in the cold light of day, may not have been too bad a guess. But the fact remains that the UK has pledged to generate a third of its energy from renewable sources – if it is to stick to EU 2020 requisites.
Despite the amendment being defeated, its rise from the political ashes of the ongoing carbon debate, seems to pose as an interesting signal for the Government. Feed-in tariffs have continued to gather and gain increasing support whilst the more traditional forms of power seem to be a ghost of their former selves.
But what is it that really haunts the corridors of parliament? Whether it is the drifting deadlines and intangible shapes of wrong decisions or the more agitated, agressive spirit of change, we’ll see this coming Wednesday.
