Energy efficiency in the UK Energy White Paper – How did it get a central role?

Nick Eyre and Dan Staniaszek, Energy Saving Trust

Keywords

Energy efficiency, energy policy, climate change

Abstract

The UK Energy White Paper, published in February 2003, made a commitment to put the UK energy system on a path towards a 60% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. Improving energy efficiency was identified as the most important short-term contributor to this goal, and also uniquely able to contribute simultaneously to all the objectives of the new energy policy.

This paper considers the process of policy development that led to such a fundamental shift in a national energy policy that had previously been dominated by supply side considerations. It sets out the history of analyses that identified a significant potential for energy efficiency improvement; the weakening of key supply side vested interests by UK energy market liberalisation; the political context of the UK Government's climate change commitments; and how these factors led to a policy change. It sets out how energy efficiency came through the long process of White Paper development as a 'major winner'.

The paper sets out the main policy instruments that have been identified as important in delivering energy efficiency in different market sectors. It discusses the further developments needed in UK energy policy to allow energy efficiency to play a key role in delivering a low carbon economy.