Energy policy well and truly nobbled by lobbies

December 5, 2007 at 8:10 am | Posted in Britain, Climate change, Energy policies, Lobbies, UK | Leave a comment

Now here’s a pair of entries to juxtapose:

What single breakthrough would best advance the fight against climate change?

As delegates gather in Indonesia to seek a new deal, leading thinkers nominate the big boost needed in the face of a rapidly warming planet

by many well-known, informed and influential key players
December 3, 2007

The energy battle

The Bali summit: Why is the British government’s energy policy not delivering on its climate change targets? Because it has been nobbled

by David Thorpe
December 4, 2007

Both in Guardian Comment is free.

So, why was it that Jeremy Leggett was the only leading thinker in the ‘single breakthrough’ sampler to suggest greater use of renewables? The answer is abundantly clear in ‘The energy battle’.

In Britain, as in America, lobbies rule, and that is our most fundamental problem.  Renewables don’t seem to have a lobby, nor unions, nor any other attribute that means ministers will lend them an ear.

I have no idea what can be done about this state of affairs.  Do you?