Gerald Conyngham and Charles Mossman met with Mel Stride and discussed with him the following issues:

1) Climate change is a  key issue since at present there is a high risk of reaching 2 degrees C of global warming after which irreversible effects start to kick in.  If we are to avoid this, around 80% of the remaining fossil fuels need to stay in the ground. 

Mel Stride response: Agreed with us about the high risk of climate change. He was non-commital on leaving fossil fuels in the ground.

2)  Paris conference:  The   EU position is to achieve a 40 % reduction in emissions  by 2030 compared to 1990.  The UK position is to reduce by 80% by 2050.

And the committee on climate change recommend that we aim  to end carbon dioxide pollution from fossil fuels by 2050. 

Mel Stride response: The UK will make a strong representation at Paris

3)  How to achieve these targets

There needs to be a big increase in renewable energy, yet there are cuts proposed  of 87% to the Feed in tariff from Jan 2016, whilst fossil fuels get £8.5 bn a year in subsidies and tax breaks.

 Ernst and Young have shown that the UK has now slipped out of the top 10 rankings for renewables and 23 large scale renewable projects have been abandoned.

At the local level, many community energy projects (including Crediton) will not be viable if these cuts are implemented.

Action:  We would like Amber Rudd to bring back pre-registration and pre-accreditation for community energy groups in January and maintain FIT rates at current levels for solar PV.

Mel Stride response: Uk Government has to reduce UK bill payers utility bills. PV panel costs have dropped dramatically in price, hence lower subsidy is reasonable.

We discussed need to reduce the FIT rates over a longer period of time so as not to destroy the UK solar panel industry.

Charles to update Mel Stride on our response to the FIT consultation this month.

4)  Climate change levy

Why has the exemption from the climate change levy been removed from renewable technologies?

Mel Stride response: This aspect of the budget is still being reviewed at Committee stage. He sits on the committee and has noted our arguments regarding impact on renewable companies income ( £0.9Bn in 2020) and the creation of uncertainty in investors minds when the government brings in new taxes on existing projects.

5)  Fracking.

Fracking is not a good way forward, owing to environmental and water pollution. The situation in the UK is very different to the USA.

If it does go ahead, national parks and SSSIs should be excluded.

In February Amber Rudd, Energy and Climate Secretary, specifically promised to ban fracking within all SSSIs, but this promise seems to have been forgotten.  The Government still has a chance, before these fracking licences are finalised, to fulfil its promise and protect SSSIs - and the RSPB is urging them to do so. 

SSSIs make up a very small percentage of the licence areas that the Government has offered; therefore ruling them out would have almost zero impact to the industry but could be a major benefit for UK wildlife.

Mel Stride response: Mel Stride is pro-fracking and thinks that activists have been exaggerating the harmful impacts.

6)  Crediton Climate Challenge

On  Saturday November the 28th there will be a Crediton Climate Challenge from 10 to 12 in the  Town Square organised by Sustainable Crediton ( as part of the lead up to the Paris conference) .We would like Mel to attend and accept the pledges.

Mel Stride response: He will check his availability. Charles to send him formal invite when event details are finalised.