UK to miss 10pc renewable target

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The Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has said the UK is unlikely to hit the 10% energy from renewable resources target this year.

Wind Farm

Wind power is vital to Britain reaching climate change targets

The government is under fire following a report from the DECC saying the UK is not on course in its push for energy from renewable resources.

The government had previously set a target of 10% energy from renewable resources by 2010, a target that is now looking very unlikely to be reached.

In 2000, the national renewable energy percentage stood at 2.7%. In 2009, the renewable percentage had gone up to 6.7% making Britain one of the worst performers in Europe in terms of green energy growth.

The slow progress means the 10% target is now not expected to be reached until 2012.

There are ensuing calls for the issue to be tackled with a greater sense of urgency and purpose if the UK is to hit the target of 15% total renewable energy by the end of 2020.

For the UK to reach that total of 15% energy from renewable resources, the DECC predicts Britain will need 30% renewable electricity by 2020.

Much of the UK’s push to reach the renewable target relies on wind power, which the DECC has warned is typically problematic with financial and planning restraints often proving a barrier getting approval for the huge wind farms to be built, especially in time to affect the 2020 targets.

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