GMB says independent experts must examine feasibility and costs of climate change committee recommendations

Somewhere someone will have to get real or voters will make them see sense says GMB Union

GMB, the energy union, says independent experts must examine the feasibility and costs of the Climate Change Committee’s recommendations for net zero published today [Wednesday December 9, 2020)

Justin Bowden, GMB National Secretary, said:

“GMB is calling for a Taskforce of independent engineers, workers and their representatives, industry and economic experts to assess the feasibility and costs of achieving these very challenging objectives, in particular the investment needed to create jobs in local content supply chains.

“As it stands, there are no UK based facilities to build the 2,700 giant wind turbines and jackets required to deliver 30GW of electricity by 2035 – as recommended by the committee.

“This equates to 180 turbines and jackets each year, every year, for the next 15 years.

“BiFab, a facility to make just eight jackets a year, collapsed into administration last week and both the UK and Scottish governments said that state aid rules prevented them intervening to save the company.

“Somewhere someone will have to get real.  Otherwise, voters will make them see sense. Who pays, how and whether the UK gets jobs in return for the billions it will cost must now be answered.”