The Renewables Advisory Board (RAB) has reported that the UK could generate 14% of its total energy from renewables by 2020 if a set of identified radical policy changes are put into effect quickly.

Recommendations include accelerating grid studies, streamlined consenting processes, early introduction of revised support mechanisms and, most importantly, strong political leadership.

The Board has also advised the Government how the additional measures could go on to achieve the full 15% share required by the EU's renewable energy target.

In order to do this, experts in four sectors (bulk electricity, bulk heat, built environment and transport) were each asked to predict what could be delivered by 2020 with significant but achievable policy change. In total, the expert groups felt able to forecast bulk electricity could provide 7.1%; bulk heat could provide 0.9%; built environment 3.3%; and transport at 2.7%.


With a further 1% remaining, the report sets out three possible options but stressed that delivery of each will present further challenges to meet the ambitious proposed target.

The report concludes that the 2020 target of 15% UK energy from renewables is achievable, but that rapid development of a transformed energy framework with radically new economic, political and social drivers is necessary.

RAB also identified that renewables must be at the heart of energy policy and that many new policies are required and some, urgently.

Alan Moore, Co-Chairman of RAB said: "If the 15% target is to be approached we need to establish a different energy world.

"Many of these changes will need to be radical and will require, above all else, political leadership and a determination to succeed," he said.

Commenting on the report, Secretary of State for Energy, John Hutton said: "We are already taking active steps on how we are going to achieve our proposed share of the EU renewable energy target. There is great momentum in this field at the moment; we will soon be the world leader in offshore wind and we are pioneers in marine energy.

"We've seen millions of pounds of investment in renewables and through the Energy Bill we are proposing changes to the support available to make the UK the premier place to invest in this growing industry."

(JM)