A 10-point plan to create jobs and drive investment in the UK's green recovery following the Covid-19 pandemic has been unveiled by ScottishPower.
The energy supplier's study (https://indd.adobe.com/view/8a83db4e-fef5-4130-88e0-594806cc47ce) outlines the steps the government could make immediately at minimal cost to the public purse to deliver quick returns for the economy, people and communities.
The 10 steps focus on renewable energy, electric vehicles (EVs), low carbon homes, and energy networks.
They include scrapping the cap on future wind farm contract auctions to boost investment in renewable energy. ScottishPower also calls on the government to bring forward the ban on petrol and diesel vehicles to 2030 to encourage people to buy EVs sooner.
Similarly, the government should bring forward the Future Homes Standard from 2025 to 2022 to get more EV chargers and electric heat pumps into people's homes.
The energy supplier also calls on ministers to set he right environment for greater investment in the electricity network, with the forthcoming transmission networks price control - RIIO T2 - an important test case for the scale of the UK's ambition.
Other steps include prioritising climate change mitigation and support the planning process to speed up the net zero transition.
“Our 10 practical steps provide a clear sense of direction and ambition for government and business as we start to come out of this crisis,“ said ScottishPower chief executive Keith Anderson. “These are achievable and deliverable steps that really are within our grasp – providing immediate, inexpensive actions that can be taken now to give an immediate boost to the economy and provide long-term environmental benefits.
“We don't need over-ambitious new programmes or giant innovations to deliver the necessary transformation. We need to build low carbon homes, get people into electric cars and construct new wind farms.
“We can do all these things, and do them quickly, with just small changes to existing government rules and regulations. It really is a no-brainer.
“The time is now and there isn't a moment to waste if we want to achieve a better future, quicker. Now we need to start building our future and we are demonstrating just how easily that can be done.
“With our 10 practical steps, we show how the green recovery can become a reality. And it can be done at little or zero cost to government.“
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