Last month, for the first time since records began, the Met Office recorded a temperature of over 40°C. Continued high temperatures and little rainfall is having a significant impact across the whole of the UK and beyond. As a consequence, there have been a number of fires across our area and I want to pay tribute to the West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service for their vigilance and hard work throughout the summer months.
Driving through the South Downs you would not believe they once inspired the lyrics of “England’s mountains green…” as currently, everywhere is shades of gold and brown. This pattern of record-breaking temperatures year after year is anthropogenic (man-caused) climate change.
Over recent weeks many of you will have heard the debate on whether or not we should scrap ‘green levies’. The term ‘green levies’ refers to our ‘environmental and social obligation costs’, which are contributions paid by consumers towards various energy policies. These include supporting the development of large and small-scale renewable programmes, but also schemes to help insulate homes and protect the most vulnerable through the ‘Warm Home Discount’.
The impact of green levies is tangible and is making energy cheaper and cleaner for all of us. Since 2010, we’ve almost entirely stopped using coal and our electricity generation will be coal-free by 2024 – a year ahead of schedule. We’ve also reduced our reliance on natural gas by 26% during a time of record high gas prices. Today, thanks to these levies, and continued Government investment, clean technologies are the cheapest form of new energy to procure.
We are all seeing huge hikes in our energy bills and at the petrol pump – caused primarily by Russia’s response to our defence of Ukraine. In the UK, our renewable energy network has ensured we have far greater energy security than many of our European neighbours and cannot be held to ransom by Russia in the same way.
I strongly believe this is not the time to stop or slow our progress to net-zero. We are seeing the impacts of climate change. We are feeling the cost of energy. So, we must continue on our journey to a cleaner, greener, more secure energy future.
