EI provides evidence for UK policy discussions

Clean energy and energy efficiency have been the focus of submissions developed by the EI in response to a number of policy consultations and inquiries in Westminster and Whitehall over the past three months.

The EI’s Energy Management Panel responded to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) consultation on Helping businesses to improve the way they use energy, conveying strongly the view that efficiency should be the energy system’s first port of call to reduce emissions. The response advocated a requirement for organisations to implement some of the recommendations from ESOS or equivalent audits and also highlighted the EI’s newly-developed Understanding your energy culture tool, targeting organisational culture for improving energy management.

The EI responded to the Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Select Committee inquiry into Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage (CCUS)), highlighting the potential of CCUS to allow for decarbonisation of otherwise difficult-to-decarbonise industries such as iron, chemicals, and cement, as well as gas-fired electricity generation, which complements renewables and enables their further rollout. 

And EI Council members including Malcolm Brinded and Joanne Wade have been working with colleagues from other Professional Engineering Institutions to prepare a response to the Commons Science and Technology Committee’s inquiry on Technologies for meeting Clean Growth emissions reduction targets. The response will highlight the areas of greatest potential for emissions reductions and give concrete recommendations sourced directly from those working across industry. 

In addition the EI was asked for advice on future topics for parliamentary select committee inquiries and has been providing background resources for Whitehall officials working on energy policy.

The EI’s responses to policy consultations and inquires can be read in full at: knowledge.energyinst.org/policy-milestones/consultation-responses