E.ON UK Chief Exec Calls For Long-term Climate Change Targets

Paul Golby, Chief Executive of E.ON UK, the company that runs Powergen, has called for the EU to set targets for carbon reduction that run beyond 2012.

Dr Golby made the call when he met José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, at a meeting of the Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change¹ in London.

"It's vital for our industry, our country and our planet that we promote both an awareness of climate change and also do something meaningful to combat it," said Dr Golby.

"That's why, when I met President Barroso, I made it clear that it's essential that the EU has to take a strong lead in setting long-term targets on climate change so that we can make a real difference and also plan the future direction of our industries.

"What we need to see are targets for the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme that go beyond 2012 and that are harmonised across the EU as a whole.

"There is simply no point in some countries putting on tough restrictions if others are more lax - we have to take the threat of climate change seriously and we have to be able to plan ahead to reduce our emissions."

During the meeting, Dr Golby also stressed the role that new technologies could play in the fight against climate change. As co-chair of the Energy Research Partnership and one of the contributors to the Energy Technologies Institute, Dr Golby and E.ON are at the forefront of the research, development, demonstration and deployment of new technologies that could be vital to combat climate change.

"We take climate change incredibly seriously at E.ON," said Dr Golby.

"Which is why we're committed to reducing the carbon intensity of our generation by 10% by 2012, having already reduced it by 20% since 1990."

In the UK, E.ON has a £4bn investment plan that includes:

•   New gas-fired power stations at the Isle of Grain in Kent (which was given government permission in October) and at Drakelow in Derbyshire

•   Early plans for two new cleaner 'supercritical' coal units at its Kingsnorth power station in Kent

•   A feasibility study into a world-leading clean coal power station at Killingholme in Lincolnshire

•   £1.2bn of improvements to the electricity distribution network in central England

•   Building the UK's largest dedicated biomass power station at Steven's Croft in Lockerbie; and

•   The continuing development of around 1,300MW of wind farms, both on- and offshore;

•   Trials of micro wind turbines and micro CHP units for customers;

•   Early development for a wave power project in the sea off Cornwall.

* ¹ E.ON UK has recently joined the Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change, a group that was established in response to a challenge issued by the Prime Minister in his speech at the 10th anniversary of HRH the Prince of Wales' Business and Environment Programme. The group of 24 like-minded business leaders aim to work together to combat climate change.

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Posted 29/11/06

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