‘More needs to be done’ to reduce UK greenhouse gas emissions

Government ministers have commented that more needs to be done to reduce the UK’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions after it was revealed that levels of emissions fell only 0.5% during 2006.

Carbon dioxide levels - which account for 85% of the UK’s GHG emissions, fell just 0.1% compared to 2005. However, it should be noted that these reduced emissions were made within a context of a growing economy - the UK economy grew by 2.9% in 2006.

GHG emissions in the UK have now reached levels which are 16.4% below what they were in 1990. This figure increases to 20.7% when the effect of the EU emissions trading scheme is included.

Hilary Benn, Environmental Secretary, commented that “The UK is on track to meet and go well beyond its Kyoto commitments.”

However, he added that more needs to be done: “As a country we must do much more across the board. We have to make a real change to every aspect of our lives and our economy.”

The biggest decreases in emissions during 2006 were made by households, seeing a 4% reduction in CO2 emission levels compared to 2005. Businesses achieved a 1.6% decrease.

Energy suppliers, transport, and aviation fared less well, all seeing an increase in their CO2 emissions. Since 1990, emissions from aviation has almost doubled.

In response to this issued, Hilary Benn noted that “the rising emissions from international flights make it clearer than ever that we need to get all flights arriving at and departing from EU airports into the EU Emissions Trading Scheme by 2012.

“The European Parliament must back the agreement reached by Environment Ministers last December.”