UK Political Parties Failing To Address Renewable Industry Needs

With this year’s General Election just over a week away, 95% of the Renewable Energy Association’s (REA) membership say that political parties have failed to address needs of the renewable energy industry in this year’s General Election campaign.

Renewable energy companies overwhelmingly believe that the needs of the industry have not been properly addressed during the ongoing election campaign, a survey carried out by the Renewable Energy Association (REA) has revealed.

Of the 136 REA members who responded to the survey, 95% said that they did not ‘feel that the political parties are addressing the needs of the renewable energy during this election campaign’.

Overall, the Green Party was viewed as the party that would be ‘best for the renewable energy industry’ (29%), with the Liberal Democrats seen as the next best.

Members were less optimistic about the two parties most likely to lead a government after the election. Just 18% of respondents believed that the industry would be in the best hands under Labour, whereas the Conservatives received the support of 15%. The REA did not provide any figures for the UK Independence Party (UKIP).

Members also stated the government policies which would be a priority for their business. Over half (56%) stated that the Feed-in Tariff was the most important policy, with the Renewable Heat Incentive close behind on 52%. The 2030 ‘decarbonisation’ target was high on the list of priorities for a significant number (44%) of respondents.

Separately, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has welcomed UKIP’s housing policy, describing it as the ‘first real programme of this campaign that seeks to solve Britain’s long-term supply-side crisis’. In its analysis of UKIP’s housing policy, the RICS concluded, ‘Taken collectively, this raft of policies appeared to be the first real programme of this campaign that seeks to solve Britain’s long-term supply-side crisis’.

Source: Renewable Energy Association and Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors

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