News from Jenny Jones (past staff): “Savage cuts to solar tariffs are betrayal of Paris Climate Agreement"

Today, the Department of Energy and Climate Change announced a 64 per cent cut to Feed in Tariff for domestic solar power, coming into force from 8^th February 2015 (1). London Assembly Member Jenny Jones has branded this as a “betrayal” of the Paris Climate Change agreement to keep global temperature rises below 1.5C at which the Prime Minister, David Cameron said “Instead of making excuses tomorrow to our children and grandchildren, we should be taking action climate change today”(2)

The Government expects that up to 18,700 solar jobs could be lost as a result of today’s changes to the Feed in Tariff (3) representing more than half of the 35,000 jobs across the UK (4). London’s solar industry employs about 3,100, many in small businesses (5).

The current solar FIT is funded from £9 surcharge on the average annual household duel fuel bill of £1,369 (6). Jenny Jones AM argues that this should rise to £13.35 in 2020 to enable an additional 1.35million homes to install solar, supplying 7 percent of our electricity demand, with the balance met from either general taxation or an additional £4.35 charge on household bills.(7)

Jenny Jones said:

“The Government’s savage cuts to solar tariffs are a betrayal of the Paris Climate Change agreement. They are directly responsible for every job and business that goes under, which in London could mean the loss of 1,500 solar jobs in mostly small businesses”

“This decision is cynical and reckless, undermining our attempts here in London to secure the reductions in greenhouse gas emissions that are needed to prevent irreversible runaway climate change and the rapid switch that is needed to clean renewable such as solar, alongside wind and tidal”

“Renewables are the casualty in the Government’s longstanding intention to clear a path for extortionately priced nuclear energy and fracked oil and gas that will just accelerate climate change”