Gareth's Blog

The Guardian has a big splash on the UK's renewables target today - and how it is likely to be missed by a mile. We're heading for 5% renewables by 2020, compared to the 20% European target that Tony Blair signed up to this spring.

This is not a surprise as the Government has repeatedly signed up for headline grabbing commitments without a tangible plan to deliver them. And what has been brought forward has lacked oomph, for example:

1. The Low Carbon Buildings Programme (which provides subsidies for micro renewables) has been afflicted with all sorts of procedural problems and starved of cash. When I bought my solar hot water system, I didn't bother with the scheme as my preferred installer wasn't registered and at that time the grants were running out on the first day of every month.

2. The Government was also decidedly lukewarm about backing the Merton Rule, developed by the titular London Borough, which requires new developments over a certain size to source a certain amount of their energy on site.

3. The Renewables Obligation on large generators has helped expand wind power in particular, but hasn't had the effect that the much simpler German system has. It is also the reason why your 'green electricity tariff' isn't actually very green.

And that's about it.

Meanwhile, countries from Ireland to Latvia are tearing past us on their generation of renewable electricity, the latter almost hitting 50% in 2005 compared with our measly 4.3%.

If it can be done and must be done, why aren't we doing it?