Keynote speakers will be Professor Sir David King, government chief scientific adviser, and Baroness Barbara Young, chief executive of the Environment Agency. Prospect general secretary Paul Noon will chair the meeting and also launch a new Prospect briefing on energy policy.
While the union welcomes the fact that at long last the UK has the basis of a long-term energy policy, it warns that warm-hearted sentiments will not deliver climate change targets. Due to the long lead times involved, practical programmes are needed now. Prospect is calling for:
- increased public funding for research, development and demonstration programmes in order to realise both the scientific capability and engineering potential of a range of renewable sources
- a new market framework that incentivises investment, including major programmes that will be required to deliver renewable energy from remote sources to points close to demand and secure the potential of distributed generation
- a clear statement of government policy on radioactive waste management, including both current and potential future waste streams and legacy waste, to be fully integrated into the energy policy, and
- high priority to be given to future skills needs through sector skills councils, the research and development Employers’ Forum recommended by Sir Gareth Roberts and the independent implementation group recommended by Baroness Greenfield.