Mayor of London Throws Out Nuclear in Favour of Renewables

Last Thursday (16th March) Ken Livingstone criticised proposals for building new nuclear power stations across the UK as he outlined his vision for a low carbon London at the Greenpeace Business Lecture.

Addressing business leaders at the Greenpeace lecture the Mayor launched a new report ‘Powering London into the 21st century’.

The report details how decentralising London’s energy would be far more efficient in cutting the city’s CO2 emissions, and the demand for imported gas as opposed to pursuing a centralised nuclear power focused national energy policy.

It provides a practical blueprint for shifting London’s energy away from dependence on centralised production, which wastes two thirds of energy generated, towards a more independent, decentralised approach to energy production which gets more value for taxpayers' money.

The report, produced by energy experts PB Power, for Greenpeace and the Mayor of London, lays out a vision for London that builds on approaches already successfully adopted in Denmark, where decentralised energy provides over 50 per cent of energy supplies and the Netherlands where it supplies over 40 per cent Closer to home, Woking Council has cut its own CO2 emissions by 77.4 per cent between 1991 and 2004 a result of decentralising its energy supplies.

Mayor of London Ken Livingstone said: ‘As this new study shows, we stand a far better chance of achieving Government targets on carbon reductions by investing in decentralised energy. Nuclear power is neither the cheapest, the safest, or the most reliable way to reduce greenhouse gases.

'We don’t have time to make mistakes in tackling climate change. The nuclear lobby is working overtime. Rather than spending taxpayers' money on the failed technology of the past, I hope the Government will invest in the most efficient, proven solutions to combat global warming: greater energy efficiency, decentralised energy and renewable energy.'

Stephen Tindale, Executive Director of Greenpeace, said: “The government says its Energy Review is about finding how we can best cut CO2 emissions and ensure a secure energy supply for the UK. If the government is genuinely concerned about climate change and fuel security then they need to start taking decentralised energy seriously and stop wasting their time considering the less effective, dangerous, dirty and expensive nuclear option.”

For the full report visit www.greenpeace.org.uk/poweringlondon