黑洞社区

MPs have criticised the government鈥檚 limited and 鈥渕uddled鈥� support for firms developing innovative low carbon construction products and services.

A report by the Energy and Climate Change select committee said there was a 鈥渕ismatch between the resources allocated by the government to support companies and its level of ambition鈥� for low carbon innovation across the UK economy.

It said the government鈥檚 Low Carbon Innovation Co-ordination Group (LCICG) 鈥� a collection of public bodies designed to co-ordinate the government鈥檚 support in this area 鈥� had 鈥渕uddled governance鈥� arrangements and suffered from a 鈥渓ack of staff鈥�.

It said the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), which oversees the group, had admitted that a lack of staff prevented the LCICG helping British firms access European Union funds that are available to support low-carbon innovation.

It also said a lack of resources left it unable to shape European energy efficiency standards for products such as heat pumps.

This is not the first time the government has been criticised over its lack of support for low carbon technologies.

In 2010, the National Audit Office published a report saying support for low carbon technology was 鈥減oorly coordinated鈥�.

Tim Yeo, chair of the committee, said: 鈥淚t is unsatisfactory that four years after the National Audit Office criticised DECC鈥檚 support for businesses developing innovative sustainable technologies, the government still hasn鈥檛 tackled the poor communication and coordination between its low carbon innovation group and businesses and broader innovation partners.鈥�

A DECC spokesperson said the government has 鈥渟ent out an unequivocal signal鈥� that it was 鈥渟erious鈥� about creating a 鈥渓ow carbon economy鈥�.

She added: 鈥淲e have improved our coordination with universities, industry and other public sector funders and we will continue to build on effective collaborations and target our funding to maximum effect.鈥�