Churches join alliance calling on MPs to back decarbonisation target in the Commons

The Methodist Church, the Baptist Union of Great Britain and theUnited Reformed Church are among 55 organisations callingon MPs to vote in favour of a decarbonisation measure inthe House of Commons on 4 June.

Next week, MPs will vote on an amendment to the EnergyBill put forward by Tim Yeo MP andBarry Gardiner MP which would introduce a target tocommit the UK to a near-carbon free power sector by 2030.

The alliance is united in the belief that the Energy Billrepresents a major opportunity to put the UK firmly on track tobecoming a world leading low-carbon economy, boost employment andshow genuine leadership in the fight against dangerous climatechange.

At their Party Conference last year Liberal Democrats passed aresolution urging the coalition government to introduce adecarbonisation target. The Revd Dr Martyn Atkins,General Secretary of the Methodist Church, has written to everyLiberal Democrat MP, urging them to vote in line with theirown party policy when the Energy Bill comes to the House of Commonson 3 and 4 June.

Ahead of the debate in the Commons, the Methodist Church, theBaptist Union of Great Britain and the United Reformed Churchlaunched a report on fuel poverty and the role of clean low-carbon energy.The report, designed as a briefing for the Energy Bill, stressesthat investment in low-carbon energy does not cause fuelpoverty. 

"The main cause of increasing fuel poverty is a general rise inenergy costs, specifically of gas and oil," states the report."Recent studies show that the most effective way of reducing fuelpoverty is through targeted energy efficiency improvement."

ENDS

List of signatories to the alliance: SSE, RSA, RES, PZCussons, Cisco, Dong Energy, Repsol, Vestas, Mainstream RenewablePower, EDP Renewables, REpower Systems SE, Interface, Harland andWolff, The Co-operative, Ecotricity, Seajacks, SeaEnergy, ModusSeabed Intervention, Good Energy, Triodos Bank, UK SustainableInvestment and Finance Association, Scottish Renewables, RenewableUK, Carbon Capture and Storage Association, Solar TradeAssociation, Renewable Energy Association (REA), AnaerobicDigestion & Biogas Association, Carbon Connect, Forum for theFuture, RegenSW, Business in the Community, The Church of Scotland,The Methodist Church, the Baptist Union of Great Britain, theUnited Reformed Church, Quakers in Britain, Operation Noah, CAFOD,10:10, National Farmers Union, Unison, the TUC, NUS, UNICEF UK,British Association for Sustainable Sport, IPPR, Association forthe Conservation of Energy, RSPB, Friends of the Earth, ChristianAid, Greenpeace, Oxfam, Woodland Trust, Women's Institute andWWF-UK. 

Notes:

1. The Energy Bill will be debated at Report Stage in the House ofCommons on Monday and Tuesday (3/4 June). Among the key issues tobe debated by MPs will be whether the UK should commit toinserting a target in the Bill (known as a 'decarbonisationtarget') that would commit the UK to have a near-carbon free powersector by 2030, as recommended by the Committee on Climate Change.A wide range of organisation across the business,faith groupand NGO sector have previously called in favour of such atarget. 
2. On 8 October 2012, a coalition of leading businesses called fora decarbonisation target in the Energy Bill through the Aldersgate Group
3. On 20 February 2013, a coalition of 40 organisations fromacross the business sector and civil society called for the introduction of a decarbonisation target in the EnergyBill.
4. On 7 March 2013, a group of seven leading international manufacturers called for a decarbonisation target in theEnergy Bill. 
5. Churches Fuel Poverty report is here