Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution

TEXT OF THE LETTER INVITING INFORMATION FOR PHASE 1 OF THE ROYAL COMMISSION'S STUDY OF ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

28 August 1997

ROYAL COMMISSION ANNOUNCES STUDY OF ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution is to review energy prospects for the 21st century and their environmental implications. The aim is to identify the actions required in the years immediately ahead to develop a sustainable strategy for energy provision and use.

Growing concern over climate change has helped bring energy to the top of the environmental agenda. In December this year international negotiations will take place in Kyoto, Japan, to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels.

This study by the Royal Commission will compare the environmental consequences of different methods of providing energy. It will examine the scope for radical reductions in energy requirements.

The principal focus will be the UK and Europe. The global context will be considered in order to identify the constraints and opportunities likely to arise.

Rather than undertake new work, the intention is to draw to the fullest extent on analyses of particular aspects already carried out by other bodies, together with the Royal Commission's own work on energy use in transport.

As the first stage of the study the Commission Secretariat will assemble and collate existing material on some key topics. The Royal Commission is inviting interested organisations and individuals to draw relevant analyses and work in progress to its attention. It will also commission some studies by consultants.

The topics identified for initial study are:

1. overall scenarios for future energy demand and supply in the UK, in Europe and globally;
2. the environmental implications of such scenarios, especially in terms of pollution produced by the energy sector;
3. technological, economic and social assessment of the scope for reducing demand for energy, including the possibility of radical changes in technology or in design practices under approaches such as Factor Four and Factor Ten;
4. the potential contributions to energy supplies from various sources and the constraints on their development;
5. environmental, economic and social assessment, on a life-cycle basis, of alternative technologies for energy supply;
6. how governments can best interact with energy markets to ensure the development of those markets reflects environmental costs and risks;
7. the effectiveness of present institutions in framing and delivering energy policies that are environmentally sustainable.

The Royal Commission is inviting interested organisations and individuals to draw relevant analyses and work in progress to its attention. It will also commission some studies by consultants. If you have produced, or are aware of, material which would be relevant to the study please would you send either the material itself or information about it to Mrs Rosemary Ferguson at the above address (0171-276-2048). The Royal Commission would like to receive such information by Friday 21 November 1997.

Unless indicated otherwise, when information is submitted it will be assumed that the organisation or individual submitting it does not have any objection to its disclosure, on request, to the public under the provisions of the Environmental Information Regulations 1992 (SI 1992/3240).

Early next year the Royal Commission will define specific issues for investigation, and will invite written and oral evidence on these. It intends to publish a report in the first half of 1999.

This invitation is being sent to organisations and individuals listed at the annex to this letter. If you are aware of others who should receive an invitation please contact the Commission to arrange for a letter to be sent to them. I shall be glad to answer any questions you may have.

Enid M Barron (Mrs)
Assistant Secretary to the Commission

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