UK Greenhouse Gas Emissions Fall in 2006
Date: 01-Feb-08
Country: UK
Author: Gerard Wynn
Britain has said it is a world leader in the fight against global warming and is introducing self-imposed legally binding targets to cut carbon emissions by 26-32 percent by 2025 and 60 percent by 2050 below 1990 levels.
Environmental groups have demanded that Britain toughen those 2025 and 2050 goals.
Britain's opposition Conservative Party said at current rates it would take 500 years for Britain to reach its 2050 emissions-cutting goal.
UK greenhouse gas emissions were more than 16 percent below 1990 levels in 2006, or 21 per cent below when calculated net of carbon trading whereby governments and companies count as their own cuts that they funded overseas.
But international aviation emissions rose in 2006, and total output of the commonest greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) was barely changed, shaving 0.1 percent off the 2005 total.
"As a country we must do much more across the board," said Environment Secretary Hilary Benn, adding that the UK was on track to meet and go "well beyond" its Kyoto commitments.
Under the international Kyoto Protocol, Britain has to cut by 2012 its greenhouse gases to 12.5 percent below 1990 levels. Benn said Britain was taking steps to cut emissions further.
"That's why we're reforming the planning system to remove barriers to renewable energy and backing new nuclear power generation," he said.
Earlier this month, the government gave the green light to a new generation of low carbon-emitting nuclear power plants. The first new plants could come on line from 2017.
AIRLINES EXCLUDED
Emissions in 2006 of all six major greenhouse gases were equivalent to 652.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2), of which CO2 accounted for 554.5 million tonnes.
But those numbers excluded international aviation and shipping. Countries do not report these under Kyoto.
Environment ministry data showed that in 2006 international flights in and out of Britain produced 35.6 million tonnes of CO2 emissions, based on UK fuel consumption, or 6.4 percent of total CO2, while international shipping produced 1.2 percent.
British international aviation emissions rose 1.5 percent in 2006 while domestic aviation fell 2.8 percent, the environment ministry said in a statement.
(Reporting by Gerard Wynn; editing by James Jukwey)
