A manifesto for sustainable heat

Download a copy of the manifesto (pdf - 504kb)

Download a copy of the accompanying document A strategy for sustainable heat (pdf - 220kb)

Whilst the government has recognised the imperative to look at energy policy to tackling soaring emissions, it has concentrated its efforts almost exclusively on electricity. This manifesto aims to raise awareness about the hidden sector of our energy supply - heat - and the options for producing this heat more sustainably. 

Heat is fundamental to our whole economy: in industry for melting, evaporating and drying processes; in our homes and businesses for warmth, hot water supply and cooking, and conversely for keeping cool in the summer. Yet because of its disparate nature and because there are no large ‘heat’ power stations on the horizon, heat gets overlooked when it comes to emissions reductions. 

This is a mistake. Heat produces more carbon dioxide emissions than electricity and providing this heat in a more sustainable way is one of the cheapest options for mitigating climate change. 

More sustainable heat means designing and altering buildings so that they require less heat, capturing heat wasted from power plants and installing renewable heating technologies in homes and business. All these measures are available and workable now. They just need more support.  

There is evidence that key areas of Whitehall and parliament are slowly waking up to the importance of addressing heat. There is a groundswell of organisations calling for action in this area. 

Green Alliance has gathered together some of these into a large coalition; from businesses and trade associations to NGOs and parliamentary bodies, all concerned about the need to produce and use heat in a more sustainable way. Alongside this document thirty of these organisations have developed a potential Strategy for sustainable heat (downloadable using the above link).

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Coalition calls for a strategy on sustainable heat - press release 28.03.07