White Paper puts water at centre of transition to a green economy
Green policy news - by GreenWise staff
8th December 2011
Water and how we use has a vital role to play in the UK’s transition to a green economy, the Government said today, as it published its White Paper on the future of water.
Ushering in the first major reform of the
water industry since privatisation over 20 years ago, the White Paper sets out how the sector must change to protect the
environment, meet the challenges of
climate change and take advantage of a burgeoning global market in
water security. It also explains how the Government will encourage and incentivise
water efficiency at home and in the workplace, including supporting
water efficiency under the Green Deal.
Launching today’s paper, 'Water for Life', Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said reform was necessary so there was enough water to go around for everyone in years to come. Severe weather events, population growth and the need to grow more
food are all set to put more pressure on our water supplies.
"We can already see the type of problems we may face, with parts of Britain still in drought even though we’re in December. With water expected to be less predictable as time goes on we all have to play our part in ensuring our water supply remains secure," Spellman said.
The 100-page White Paper sets out in detail how the Government plans to reform the water sector to make it more resilient and efficient by placing economic growth and the protection of the environment at its heart. It is accompanied by newly published research by the Environment Agency which conclude that water resources in the UK are already under pressure and that in the longer term climate change could have a bigger impact on available water resources than population growth.
To meet these and other challenges, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) proposes a wide-ranging series of measures. These include reform of the abstraction regime, new ways to protect rivers and an overhaul of the water market to increase competition to ensure business customers have more choice and new entrants are encouraged into the market.
Innovation
But with a firm eye on the green economy, the paper also calls for
innovation and growth in the water efficient and water security goods and services sector. As such, Defra unveils a £3.5 million innovation competition in water security to be launched by the Technology Strategy Board in March 2012.
Green DealNoting that in some parts of the country, consumption is as high as over 160 litres per day per person, the White Paper proposes a number of measures to encourage people to use less water in homes and workplaces. These include extending finance at not upfront cost to homes and businesses for hot water saving measures under the Green Deal, the Government’s flagship
energy efficiency scheme set to be introduced next autumn.
Other measuresOther measures proposed are incentives offered by water companies to their customers to save water through the introduction, for example, of seasonal tariffs, where water would cost less in the winter, but more during peak summer use.
The White Paper, meanwhile, sets out how the Government aims to encourage behaviour change around water usage, including working with existing schemes to understand what motivates people to adopt water efficient behaviour. It also pledges to work with the water industry and retailers to promote better understanding of areas such as wastewater and drainage and by fostering ambassadors and champions.
In another move, Defra said it would launch its own campaign to save water and protect the environment, working with water companies, regulators and customers.
"Currently we enjoy clean water at the turn of a tap, and watch it drain away without a thought," Spellman said. "But parts of England actually have less rainfall per person than many Mediterranean countries.
"Making sure we’ve got enough water for everyone is going to be one of the major challenges this country will have to deal with in the years ahead."
Defra said it would publish a draft Water Bill for pre-legislative scrutiny in early 2012 and introduce a Water Bill as soon as Parliamentary time allows.
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