Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of BPs decision to scale back investment in renewable energy and increase investment in oil and gas on their ability to be a credible partner in the transition to renewable energy.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department has made no such assessment.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of BP’s plan to scale back renewable energy investment on achieving the UK’s 2030 target to reduce emissions by 68% compared to 1990 levels.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department has made no such assessment.
Delivering the Government’s climate goals requires us to work with many different organisations.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with BP on the company's new strategy to prioritise oil and gas production over investment in renewable energy; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of this decision on the Government's green strategy.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We have noted the changes bp is making to its strategy. Such decisions are a commercial matter for the company.
The Government is unable to assess the potential future impact of the new strategy on the UK as it relates to the company’s global business rather than being focused on activities in this country. However we welcome the significant investment bp is continuing to plan to make in low carbon projects in the UK, including in the East Coast Cluster.
Existing regulation of emissions from bp’s activities in the UK remain unchanged.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has had discussions with his counterpart in Brazil on the four-lane highway through protected Amazon rainforest being built for the COP30 climate summit in the Brazilian city of Belém.
Answered by Kerry McCarthy - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Planning decisions in Brazil are a matter for the Brazilian government.
Brazil has commitment to achieve zero deforestation by 2030 and we welcome the focus on forests set out by the incoming COP30 President in his letter of 10 March. We will continue to work closely with the COP President and others to drive forward efforts to halt and reverse deforestation globally by 2030, and to support their preparations for the important COP30 conference in Belem.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, for what reason the Government uses the marginal cost pricing system for electricity.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The wholesale electricity market, like most commodity markets worldwide, is based on marginal pricing. This reflects the value of consuming or generating an additional unit of electricity at any given time and ensures that generators increase or decrease their output to meet demand.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he plans to publish an update to the Reduced Data Standard Assessment Procedure.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are a crucial tool for consumers to understand the energy efficiency of their homes. We are implementing an interim update to the Reduced Data Standard Assessment Procedure (RdSAP), which underpins EPC ratings, in Spring this year. This update aims to enhance the accuracy and robustness of the current model. This is ahead of a more significant, ambitious EPC reform programme set for late 2026, aimed at better supporting Net Zero objectives and delivering the Warm Homes Plan.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential (a) economic, (b) social and (c) environmental impact of poor home insulation; and if he will make it his policy to establish a local-authority-led street-by-street retrofit programme to insulate homes.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Energy efficiency improvements remain the best way to tackle fuel poverty in the long term, contributing to the reduction of energy bills, as well as reducing carbon emissions in line with Net Zero.
The Warm Homes Plan will offer grants and low interest loans to support investment in insulation, low carbon heating and other home improvements to cut bills. We will partner with combined authorities and local and devolved governments to roll out this plan.
We will announce further policy detail in due course.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make it his policy to require landlords to improve the energy efficiency of their properties to a EPC C rating.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
This government is committed to reducing the number of fuel poor households in England. We will require landlords to improve their properties to Energy Performance Certificate standard C by 2030. Ensuring warmer, healthier private rented homes will lift many families out of fuel poverty and reduce energy bills.