Monday 8 April 2019

Centrica targets 7GW of flexible and low carbon energy tech by 2030

Centrica has set out a target to deliver 7GW of flexible, distributed and low carbon energy technologies by 2030 as part of its string of ambitious goals aligned with the Paris climate agreement.

That’s equivalent to more than 10% of the UK’s current peak demand, according to the energy giant, which has unveiled 15 long term goals, focused on four areas - customers, climate change, colleagues and the communities in which it operates.

The British Gas owner has pledged to help customers to reduce their emissions by 25%, directly contributing through its products and services - which is equivalent to the annual emissions of 2.5 million UK homes – and also committed to reducing its internal emissions by 35% by 2025 over a 10-year period.

The 2030 Responsible Business Ambitions are also targeting women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) roles, with the goal of doubling it up to 40% while supporting 2,500 young people not in education or employment with skills development opportunities.

Centrica also intends to implement new energy technologies, delivering £5 billion of value for communities, including £300 million in energy efficiency savings.

Iain Conn, Group Chief Executive said: “Our Responsible Business Ambitions bring the company’s purpose to life. We are, of course, here to satisfy the changing needs of our customers and to deliver long term shareholder value. Together our ambitions give meaning to the goal of ‘helping you run your world in ever more sustainable ways’.

“We’ve been active in all of these areas for many years and we wanted to bring them all together and set specific targets out to 2030 that will accelerate the positive impact we can have in society. Our ambitions are not going to be easy but it is the right thing for us to set challenging goals and they will help us deliver better long term sustainable value for all our stakeholders.”