UK continues to show its commitment to renewable energy

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) describing it as the "greatest environmental challenge facing the world today".

Among the possible consequences this problem will bring are alterations to seasonal patterns, rising sea levels and increased intensity of extreme weather. Given that, the UK Government has committed itself to a series of measures to reduce the country's carbon emissions.

• • Climate Change Bill

As a ratifying party of the Kyoto Protocol, Britain has a responsibility to cut emissions of six greenhouse gases by 12.5 per cent below 1990 levels over 2008-2012.

However, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) claims the latest estimates show that by 2010 the UK should be 23 per cent below, meaning it has achieved almost double the commitment laid out in Kyoto.

To further increase the UK's contribution to combating global climate change, domestic goals have also been set which aim to reduce carbon dioxide by 20 per cent below 1990 levels before 2010 and 60 per cent by 2050.

Currently, the Climate Change Bill is progressing towards becoming law, which will make the UK the first country to lay down legislation to set long-term and significant carbon-reduction targets.

With its demonstrated commitment to tackling climate change, what practical steps is the UK taking? One of the major areas for reducing emissions is through the energy sector, with BERR working alongside Defra and other Government bodies to achieve this.

Rolling out sustainable forms of energy across the UK to replace traditional fossil fuel sources is one way carbon emissions can be cut. Britain has agreed to European targets to generate 15 per cent of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2020 and is using a variety of means to reach this.

• • New developments

One area of investment is research and development into innovative technologies. The New and Renewable Energy Centre (NaREC) was established in 2002 to design and commercialise sustainable energy methods, with a particular focus on offshore wind.

Earlier this year, Californian energy giant, Clipper Windpower, announced that it will invest in the centre to develop the world's largest wind turbine, which will be almost ten times taller than the Angel of the North.

Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks said: "The New and Renewable Energy Centre is setting a fantastic example and I hope many other manufacturing companies will recognise the opportunities a shift to a low carbon economy will create.”

Research at the centre is not just limited to wind power. In August, NaREC announced a collaboration with the National Renewable Energy Centre of Spain to investigate ways to introduce more small-scale sustainable power grids, which will examine a host of cutting-edge technologies such as solar power, fuel cells and reciprocating engines.

The New and Renewable Energy Centre is setting a fantastic example

Malcolm Wicks

Energy Minister

Meanwhile, organisations such Cenex, an initiative supported by BERR, conduct research into low carbon and fuel cell technologies and the University of Durham's New and Renewable Energy Group examines areas including thermo-mechanical energy conversion and solar power.

However, progress in renewable energy technologies is not limited to research activities, with the UK developing an infrastructure of sustainable power sources to honour its European generation targets and replace traditional gas and coal-fired stations.

• • Defra’s plans on biomass

Biomass, or burning wood and plant matter for energy, is one area which has seen investment in the UK. There are a number of small to medium-sized plants in the country, although last month energy firm E.ON revealed plans to develop one of the UK's largest biomass power stations at the port of Bristol.

The proposed £300 million Portbury Dock Renewable Energy Plant would produce enough power for 200,000 homes, with E.ON UK chief executive Dr Paul Golby commenting it "would make a considerable contribution to helping the government meet its renewable energy targets".

In addition, the Government has also approved the construction of one of the world's largest biomass power station, green-lighting a 350MW plant at Port Talbot in Wales from Prenergy Power.

Recently, Defra announced plans to back up biomass through a scoping project looking at short-rotation forestry options to provide sources of fuel.

The three-year study will examine the feasibility of fast-growing woods such as eucalyptus to be used in the stations.

As earlier noted, offshore wind is one of the main areas of renewable energy for Britain. According to British Wind Energy Association, "the UK has potentially the largest offshore wind resource in the world, with relatively shallow waters and a strong wind resource extending far into the North Sea.”

The organisation estimates that more than a third of the total European potential offshore wind resource is off the country's coats, which could generate almost three times its energy requirement.

the UK has potentially the largest offshore wind resource in the world, with relatively shallow waters and a strong wind resource extending far into the North Sea

British Wind Energy Association

To capitalise on this, a series of wind farms are already in UK waters. In July this year, work began on the Greater Gabbard project, an offshore wind farm of the Suffolk coast which will have an operating capacity of 504MW and the ability to power around 415,000 homes.

The development will make a significant contribution to Britain's carbon reduction targets, resulting in a saving of 1.5 million tonnes per year - the equivalent of taking 350,000 cars off the road.

• • Trident Energy Project

However, even Greater Gabbard is dwarfed by the proposed London Array project. This wind farm, which has been suggested by a consortium of E.ON and DONG Energy, could see up to 341 turbines installed along more than 12 miles of the Kent and Essex coasts. When complete, the suggested development could generate as much as 1,000MW – enough to power 750,000 homes or a quarter of Greater London.

According to the group behind London Array "based on the current schedule, it is expected that the project would, on its own, produce enough power to achieve almost ten per cent of the government's target in 2010.

The ocean has other ways of providing the country with renewable energy. Wave and tidal power are other sustainable sources which the UK is investing in.

Earlier this year, BERR announced that ten proposed developments for wave generation in the Severn Estuary, which would help meet the government's energy commitments.

The tidal range is the second largest in the world and could meet five per cent of the UK's current electricity demands. Revealing the list of possible sites for the scheme, Business Secretary John Hutton commented: "Harnessing the power of the Severn Estuary could be an engineering project of breathtaking scale and we will look at the full range of technologies and locations.

A further example illustrating Britain's innovation in utilising wave power is the Trident Energy project. The firm is currently testing a novel technology which could provide a cheap and simple way for the latent power of the oceans be captured by the UK, which the company describes as "a very attractive and reliable source of renewable energy".

To conclude, while climate change is a pressing concern affecting the entire planet, Britain is taking steps to minimise its contribution to the problem. Whether through exceeding international greenhouse gas reduction targets, building world-leading power stations or carrying out groundbreaking research into renewable energy technologies, the UK has shown commitment to the sustainable future.