London, 5 July 2009 

The UK is on track to meet the challenge of securing energy supplies both internationally and domestically, a new report commissioned by the Prime Minister Gordon Brown concluded today. 

The report - ‘Energy Security: a national challenge in a changing world’ report - by the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on International Energy, Rt. Hon. Malcolm Wicks MP complements the actions set out in the recently published UK Low Carbon Transition Plan. It finds that many of the actions being taken to reduce climate risk also need to be sustained to tackle energy security.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown welcomed the report and said: "We are already taking a number of responsible far-sighted steps to put the UK on a secure, low carbon, affordable energy footing in the long-term and I am grateful for the work undertaken by Malcolm Wicks. The ability to maximise domestic energy reserves and establish home grown energy sources is vital alongside the UK’s ability to pull on every lever internationally in support of energy security."

Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Ed Miliband, added: “We cannot afford to be complacent about the challenges we face in securing our energy supplies, and I’m grateful for the rigor of Malcolm’s analysis on these issues. We’ll continue to use fossil fuels in the near term as part of our transition to the low carbon economy and maximise our own North Sea reserves, as well as do all we can to secure the most diverse range of energy imports.”

The Government will consider carefully the report’s recommendations and publish a formal response in due course.

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Attachments:

ESwicks.pdf

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