Policy paper

Energy Working Group - Terms of Reference

Updated 22 September 2021

This was published under the 2019 to 2022 Johnson Conservative government

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Aims and purpose

  • The Energy Working Group (EWG) will be made up of technical experts that advise HMG on the development of Technical Screening Criteria (TSCs) in the energy sector for the UK Green Taxonomy. This will be to help ensure that proposals put forward by HMG are science-based, technology neutral, and aligned with plans for net zero in the UK by 2050.

Role and remit

  • The UK taxonomy will build off existing international taxonomies, as the UK is committed to promoting alignment in international standards, and significant work and consultation have gone into existing international taxonomies that the UK can utilise.
  • However, to develop Technical Screening Criteria (TSCs) that underpin the UK taxonomy, HMG will need to ensure coherence with UK policy. This may include adjusting the criteria and thresholds at which economic activities become low-carbon, and in certain cases, developing new TSCs. This will require technical input. Therefore, the EWG will provide independent advice on key technologies prior to HMG consulting on the TSCs.
  • The EWG will be focused on the environmental objective of climate change mitigation, with a mandate to consider the delivery of net zero by 2050 in the UK. The TSCs in the energy sector cover the production of electricity, heat, and fuels, as well as energy storage and networks.

Approach to working

  • The EWG’s role is advisory and will not replace the usual process of Government developing policy, although it will feed into this process.
  • The group will be chaired by the Chief Scientific Advisor (CSA) to BEIS, and BEIS will provide the Secretariat. However, all group members will be independent of HMG, with membership drawn from academia, expert organisations, and industry. The EWG will be made up of a core group of around 10 individuals. BEIS may add to this group if required.
  • Once BEIS ask the EWG for feedback on specific proposals, a written summary of advice from the EWG will be shared with the main Green Technical Advisory Group (GTAG) group for comment. The Committee on Climate Change and the Green Finance Institute will be part of both the GTAG and the EWG.
  • Deliberations of the EWG should be respected as confidential to support frank debate with the group and with HMG. Members are free to discuss their involvement and share personal views on the condition that anything shared by the Government on a confidential basis is not discussed.
  • The EWG is expected to meet three times between August-October 2021. Further meetings may be convened after this.
  • HMG will publish the membership of the group on www.gov.uk. HMG will retain the ability to publish a high-level anonymised summary of discussions of the EWG at consultation. The group will look to use consensus to provide advice to government. However, any written summary of discussions will capture different views presented by the group.
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