The Government has finally begun to grasp the importance of taking action to ensure the UK has secure energy supplies for the future and to keep climate change mitigation as a priority, says The Royal Academy of Engineering in response to the Queen's Speech today.
However, the scale of the engineering challenge to deliver the required infrastructure is unprecedented and must be taken into account for both reliable, secure supply and reduced demand.
New and improved technologies are essential to address the twin concerns of climate change and security of supply. The critical clusters of technology are nuclear, carbon capture and storage (CCS), energy efficiency including low-energy buildings and vehicles, renewables and energy storage. We need all of these if we are to close the energy gap, it is not a matter of choice.
Education issues
The Academy welcomes today's focus on education. Skills acquisition is a good thing for young people. Research evidence tells us that science, technology, engineering and maths skills are particularly valuable in terms of improved life chances for young people. The new Engineering Diploma, on which the Academy leads curriculum development, will provide a simple pathway for the acquisition of STEM skills and will enable more people to get great jobs in engineering.
The Academy has been fostering further education and skills in engineering for a generationby forming effective partnershipswithschools, FE colleges, universities, sector skill councils and employers.
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