OLDHAM, England— British Rigid Urethane Foam Manufacturers' Association and 29 other trade bodies have called on Theresa May, United Kingdom prime minister, and Business Secretary Greg Clark to stick to European Union climate change targets and transform energy infrastructure by 2020.
“Our association firmly believes that regardless of Brexit negotiations, there should be no reduction in carbon emission targets and (there should be) a radical transformation of energy infrastructure in the U.K. by 2020,” BRUFMA wrote in a letter addressed to Clark.
The letter also stated that EU laws and regulations on energy and buildings have played a leading role in enabling the U.K. to reduce its emissions of greenhouse gases and to provide global leadership on climate change. A combination of EU and U.K. laws, regulations and policies have given businesses, investors and consumers the confidence to begin putting the U.K. on the path toward a low carbon future.
Clark's department combines the previous U.K. government departments for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department of Energy & Climate Change.
The key passage of the letter reads: “Following the referendum, it is now critical that government restores this already-eroded confidence by giving an assurance that, until the terms of leaving the EU are in place, all relevant EU directives and targets are still in place, and the U.K. Government is legally obliged to continue to meet them.
“In particular, we call upon the government to commit to hitting 2020 targets under the Renewable Energy Directive, the Energy Efficiency Directive and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.”