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Messaging Handbook May 2014 update. Approach.
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Approach The following slides are intended as a guide to assist spokespeople from the wind energy industry who are having conversations with the media. Provided are key messages, which have been tested as the messages that resonate most with the British public. Each message strand is structured according to the below pyramid, to ensure delivery is robust and compelling. Please note that the emotional responses are intended to be used to inspire your own story-telling based on your own experience to make the message authentic. These work best when based on personal anecdotes so please use them as a guide. The figures were last updated in May 2014. To check the most recent statistics, please get in touch with RenewableUK’s external affairs team by emailingmedia@RenewableUK.com.
1. Creating ProsperityThe abundance of wind in the UK can deliver billions of pounds of investment, new technology and new jobs – all for just a few pence a day. ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY JOB CREATION ENERGY BILLS The UK must seize the economic opportunity created by the wind energy industry and not be left behind by other countries. The wind industry is creating careers for the next generation, and will be the engine room for investment and job creation in the UK for decades. Harvesting the wind costs just a few pence per day. The UK is one of the windiest countries in Europe – so it makes perfect sense to harness that power. ⁵ SUPPORTINGMESSAGE PROOF POINTS The wind energy industry has created over 16,700 direct full-time jobs and over 15,000 indirect full-time jobs. It could employ over 80,000 by 2023.³ The wind industry is reducing long-term unemployment in some of the UK’s hardest hit areas.⁴ The wind industry is a £2 billion opportunity each year, a major source of UK investment.¹ The UK is a global leader in offshore wind, with the potential to export worldwide.² Ofgem’s figures show that the cost of wind energy is less than 5p per day, per household.⁶ Each megawatt of onshore wind is worth £700,000 to UK’s economy, with £100,000+ for the local area.⁷ One pound fifty – less than a small takeaway coffee – supports wind energy for a month. Imagine a fuel bill that doesn’t spike every winter – wind can help balance the mix, preventing fluctuating bills. When I was at the last RUK conference, I saw such a diverse array of companies from Denmark and Germany to China and South Korea – this is a global opportunity, and one we should be leading. EMOTIONALRESPONSE Parents are genuinely concerned about where their children are going to find jobs – the renewables industry is providing those jobs. When I visited (factory name) I was impressed by the calibre of the jobs. SOUNDBITE Wind as a fuel is free. We need to lead the market rather than just being a market. The wind industry is creating jobs out of fresh air.
1. Creating ProsperityFootnotes & supportive facts 1. RenewableUK “Wind Energy in the UK” report (October 2013) p4 (“The Continued Value of Wind”) states “In total wind installed last year (July 2012 to June 2013, the 12 months covered by the report) brought up to £2bn of activity to the UK economy”. See: http://www.renewableuk.com/en/publications/reports.cfm/state-of-the-industry-report-2012-13 Separately, the Offshore Wind Developers Forum has subscribed to a vision for a minimum of 50% UK content (50% of the total cost of building the windfarm is spent in the UK) from offshore wind projects. 2. Ernst and Young’s Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index - http://www.ey.com/UK/en/Industries/Cleantech/Renewable-Energy-Country-Attractiveness-Index (May 2013) places the UK at the top of the global list of countries in which to invest in offshore wind energy. The Environmental Finance Leader at E&Y, Ben Warren, highlighted the UK’s “huge offshore wind potential”, saying “There has never been a better time to turn the UK into the go-to market for investment in renewable energy in Europe”. Wind power is present today in over 79 countries: http://www.gwec.net/global-figures/interactive-map/ 3. RenewableUK’sreport “Working for a Green Britain and Northern Ireland 2013-2023” (published Sept 2013) states that in 2013 there were 6,608 FTEs in large onshore wind, 838 FTEs in medium onshore wind, 2,464 FTEs in small onshore wind, and 6,830 in FTEs offshore wind, giving a total of 16,741 wind industry jobs. (NB the report’s headline figure of 18,465 FTEs includes 1,742 FTEs in wave & tidal jobs). For 2023, under the medium growth scenario it states 40,432 jobs (direct + indirect) in onshore and offshore wind (NB the report’s total of 52,559 jobs also includes 12,107 wave & tidal jobs). 2023: Under the high growth scenario: 81,770 jobs (direct + indirect) in onshore and offshore wind (NB the report’s total of 104,791 jobs also includes 23,021 wave & tidal jobs). http://www.renewableuk.com/en/publications/reports.cfm/working-green-britain 4. From a small turbine manufacturer in Chippenham, to a cable tie factory in Hartlepool and a rotary component specialist in Grantham, the wind industry is breathing life into SMEs up and down the country. See RenewableUK’s “Wind Energy in the UK” report (Oct 2013) “UK Manufacturing Supply Chain” (p33-38): http://www.renewableuk.com/en/publications/reports.cfm/state-of-the-industry-report-2012-13 5. Met Office Wind Review 2013(pub April 2014) places British Isles 2nd in Europe (after Spain): http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/renewables/windreview In addition many sources states that “the UK enjoys 40% of the continent’s entire resource”, for example Charles Hendry’s speech from Oct 2010: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/charles-hendrys-speech-at-the-energy-and-utility-forum-house-of-commons 6. Impact of the RO: Ofgem published the RO report for 2012/13 on 03.03.14: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/ofgem-publications/86392/roannualreport2012-13final.pdf This states that the overall cost of the RO scheme in the financial year 2012/13 was £1.99bn for all renewable technologies. Domestic supply is 36% of overall electricity demand, so domestic bill payers are contributing (£1.99bn x 0.36 =) £716.400 million. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electricity-chapter-5-digest-of-united-kingdom-energy-statistics-dukes UK has 26.4m households: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/family-demography/families-and-households/2013/stb-families.html so £27.14 per household per year In 2012/13, wind accounted for 63% of the value of the RO: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/ofgem-publications/86392/roannualreport2012-13final.pdf So the amount paid per household for wind under the RO: £17.10 a year, or 33p a week, or 4.7p a day. Total for wind to all households under the RO: £451,332,000. + Impact of the Feed-in Tariff: Written parliamentary answer on 11.03.14 by Energy Minister Michael Fallon stated “on average, around 1% of the household energy bill in 2013 went towards supporting small-scale installations through feed-in tariffs. Wind installations are estimated to make up a small proportion of this cost, less than £1 in 2013”. Therefore total amount paid per household for wind including the FiT is approx. £18 per year, or 35p per week, or 4.9p per day. 7. This onshore wind report from RenewableUK / Biggar (May 2012) states that “Every megawatt of onshore wind energy we install is worth £700,000 to the UK’s economy (with over £100,000 of that staying in the local authority area)”. See: http://www.renewableuk.com/en/news/press-releases.cfm/2012-05-01-new-research-proves-economic-benefit-of-onshore-wind and http://www.renewableuk.com/en/publications/reports.cfm/BiGGAR.
2. Energy IndependenceWind energy will reduce reliance on expensive imported fossil fuels. We can ensure the UK is in control of our own energy future, and insulate consumers’ energy bills from the price shocks of international markets. WIND WORKS ENERGY SECURITY ENERGY BILLS SUPPORTING MESSAGE Wind energy is the largest single source of renewable electricity, and is expected to continue to provide the lion’s share of clean power¹. Wind energy is not affected by international conflict. Unlike fossil fuels, its production and cost are stable and constant. Volatility is ultimately about scarcity. Wind will not run out – it will insulate us from price spikes in our energy bills. In 2013, wind energy generated 7.7% of the UK’s electricity supply.¹ The wind industry is on track to generate at least 15% of the UK’s electricity needs by 2020, by significantly expanding current capacity.² The Government says wholesale price of gas went up by more than 35% between 2010 and 2012.⁵ We need a balanced mix – as seen when Sizewell B went offline for 7 months and wind filled the gap.⁶ The UK has installed the capacity to power more than 6 million homes every year using wind.³ 80% of people are concerned about the UK becoming too dependent on imported energy.⁴ POOF POINTS Imagine a fuel bill that doesn’t spike every winter. By reducing our dependency on imported energy we will protect UK consumers from the volatile and rapidly rising cost of fossil fuels. Investing in wind energy secures a legacy of self-sufficiency for our grandchildren. Wind energy is a key part of an energy mix that will move us away from dependence on energy imports. Our historically bountiful North Sea oil and gas won’t last forever. Wind energy is delivering results now – every turn of a wind turbine that we see provides the UK with greater energy independence. EMOTIONAL RESPONSE Wind energy works today, and puts power back in our own hands. Wind power is a UK resource – one we control and own. We cannot afford to continue to be held hostage by fluctuating imported oil and gas prices. SOUNDBITE
2. Energy IndependenceFootnotes & supportive facts 1. DECC’s 2013 stats (pub Mar 2014): https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/295362/ET_March_2014.PDFRenewables generated 14.8% of UK electricity for National Grid in 2013 (see p39). Onshore wind generated 31% of renewable electricity (see p46). Offshore wind generated 21% of renewable electricity (see p46), So overall wind generated 52% of renewable electricity = 7.7% of all electricity for NG.. (For comparison, bioenergy: 35% (landfill gas, sewage gas, municipal solid waste, plant biomass, animal biomass), Hydro: 8.9%, Solar PV 3.8%). 2. DECC’s UK Renewable Energy Roadmap Update 2013 cites 16GW of offshore wind installed by 2020 (p7) and 16.1GW of onshore wind (p48): https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/255182/UK_Renewable_Energy_Roadmap_-_5_November_-_FINAL_DOCUMENT_FOR_PUBLICATIO___.pdf 3. RenewableUK Wind Energy database (UKWED): http://www.renewableuk.com/en/renewable-energy/wind-energy/uk-wind-energy-database/index.cfm 4. See DECC’s Public Attitudes Tracker: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-energy-climate-change/series/public-attitudes-tracking-survey. Wave 9 of the survey (April 2014) shows 80% concern in “Energy Security” section in Headline Findings spreadsheet. 5. DECC's Prices and Bill Impacts Report (March 2013) highlights the fact that the wholesale cost of energy (which is largely determined by international fossil fuel prices) is the biggest part of all our fuel bills, accounting for nearly half (47%) of what we had to pay in 2013. The study says at least 60% of the increase in household energy bills between 2010 and 2012 was due to rising wholesale energy prices, and that the wholesale price of gas went up by over 35% between 2010 and 2012 (p20). It also says annual domestic energy bills are £64 lower this year than they would have been without green policies. The study also shows that in 2020, as a result of green measures, annual domestic bills will be £166 lower than the do-nothing scenario. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/172923/130326_-_Price_and_Bill_Impacts_Report_Final.pdf 6. RenewableUK has always advocated a balanced mix to decarbonise our power system and achieve security of supply. The benefits of this can be seen for example when Sizewell B was offline for seven months and wind generated the equivalent of electricity for 400,000 homes annually. See this speech from Charles Hendry in Oct 2010: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/charles-hendrys-speech-at-the-energy-and-utility-forum-house-of-commons and https://www.gov.uk/government/news/charles-hendry-sets-out-new-approach-to-onshore-wind-westminster-hall-debate
3. Tackling Climate Change Using wind energy to power our homes is taking harmful emissions out of our climate and the air we breathe EMISSION REDUCTION CLIMATE CHANGE EMISSIONS TARGETS The greatest threat to our green and pleasant land is the effect of climate change. Wind energy is cleaning our future. Electricity generated by wind replaces electricity generated from conventional power stations, reducing the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions. We must meet our legally binding emissions reduction targets to demonstrate our leadership on environmental issues to the world, and to our children. SUPPORTING MESSAGE As just one example of the impact of climate change – mitigating against flooding will cost the Government £2.1 billion 2012-5.¹ 80% of the UK public support using renewable energy to provide clean electricity.² Wind energy cuts UK carbon emissions by more than 11 million tonnes each year.³ A Government report on climate change shows the cost of inaction far outweighs that of immediate action and the benefits it brings. ⁴ We must reduce our carbon emissions by 80% by 2050 ⁵ PROOF POINTS Climate change is one of the most pressing issues facing the world. I want to leave it a clean and prosperous place for my grandchildren. So something must be done, and wind is a part of that. Climate change poses a significant threat to our standard of living, environment, economy and health. Wind energy is tackling that, ensuring a clean energy solution for future generations. Wind energy is clean, in stark contrast to the dirty fossil fuels that have polluted our landscapes. EMOTIONALRESPONSE SOUNDBITE The only emission from a wind turbine is clean energy. Wind energy is central to the UK meeting its legally binding targets. Wind energy is protecting future generations from climate change.
3. Tackling Climate ChangeFootnotes & supportive facts 1. 2012 DEFRA Report ‘UK Climate Change Risk Assessment: Government Report’ says that in England the Government expects to invest at least £2.1 billion on flooding and coastal erosion over the next four years. The Environment Agency and the other risk management authorities expect to provide improved protection to at least 145,000 households over this period. See page 29: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/69487/pb13698-climate-risk-assessment.pdf 2. DECC’s Public Attitudes Tracker: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-energy-climate-change/series/public-attitudes-tracking-survey. Wave 9 (April 2014) Headline Findings spreadsheet shows 80% of UK public support generating electricity from renewable sources, 77% support the development of offshore wind, 70% support developing onshore wind. Other polls stretching back over more than 2 years show consistently high levels of public support: March 2014: http://www.renewableuk.com/en/news/press-releases.cfm/new-poll-shows-young-people-favour-offshore-wind-over-fracking Oct 2013: http://www.renewableuk.com/en/news/press-releases.cfm/2013-10-27-opinion-poll-shows-70-in-favour-of-wind-farms-near-them Sept 2013: http://www.renewableuk.com/en/news/press-releases.cfm/vote-of-public-support-in-favour-of-more-wind-farms Oct 2012: http://www.renewableuk.com/en/news/press-releases.cfm/2012-10-22-new-poll-shows-majority-people-want-more-wind-farms April 2012 Ipsos MORI poll – this shows that support for wind is slightly stronger in rural areas than in urban areas – see stats in 5th paragraph: http://www.renewableuk.com/en/news/press-releases.cfm/2012-04-30-cpre-s-concerns-about-wind-turbine-development-misplaced April 2012 More on Ipsos MORI poll: http://www.renewableuk.com/en/news/press-releases.cfm/2012-04-19-wind-power-has-strong-support-among-british-public-and-the-look-of-wind-farms-on-the-landscape-is-acceptable-to-the-majority 3. For latest stats, please see UKWED: http://www.renewableuk.com/en/renewable-energy/wind-energy/uk-wind-energy-database/index.cfm UKWED figures explained: http://www.renewableuk.com/en/renewable-energy/wind-energy/uk-wind-energy-database/figures-explained.cfm 4. ‘The Stern Review: The Economics of Climate Change’: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130129110402/http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/Executive_Summary.pdf 5. 80%: https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/reducing-the-uk-s-greenhouse-gas-emissions-by-80-by-2050/supporting-pages/carbon-budgets
Jennifer WebberDirector of External Affairs+44 (0)20 7901 3012 +44 (0)77 9246 3445Jennifer.Webber@RenewableUK.com