Commenting on a report published today (8 May) by the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee on the potential economic impact of shale gas, WWF Cymru said that the UK Government must remain focused on the task of moving Wales and the rest of the UK rapidly to an efficient and low-carbon energy system.
Jessica McQuade, Policy and Advocacy Officer at WWF Cymru, said:
“The Lords seemed to have overlooked the many serious analysts who have said that shale gas in the UK is unlikely to have much impact on either gas prices or the UK’s rising exposure to gas imports.
“If we are genuinely going to reduce the UK’s vulnerability to future fossil fuel price shocks, the main priority must be to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels in the first place.
“Moving rapidly towards an energy system that’s more efficient, low-carbon and better integrated with those of our European partners should therefore remain the UK’s highest national priority when it comes to energy policy.”
“This is especially important to support Welsh Government’s plans for moving to a low carbon economy, tackling carbon emissions and addressing the high number of people who live in fuel poverty in Wales”.
WWF pointed in particular to research by National Grid which shows that moving towards an efficient and low-carbon energy system could cut the UK’s gas consumption by 40% to 50% by 2030 compared to what was consumed in 2010. WWF argued that this would be a genuine game changer for the UK’s energy security and would provide more protection to consumers against volatile gas prices.
