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Government Warning

Government Warning

The UK Governments Environmental Audit Committee reported that the country's efforts to tackle climate change could be meaningless, if the world’s leaders fail to reverse the growth in global emissions over the next 10 years.

The Committee's new report on Carbon budgets calls on the Government to redouble its efforts to cut emissions quickly at home, thus helping build the international political will that is necessary to secure a binding climate deal out of the wreckage of Copenhagen.

The report examines the UK's current progress and finds that the Government is only on track to meet its first carbon budget because of the impact of the recession.

Ministers have often been too 'optimistic' when projecting how much carbon their policies will cut - and there is now a worrying shortfall in delivery; UK emissions are currently falling by only about 1 % per year, instead of the 2-3% per year which the Committee on Climate Change say is needed.

The Committee said that the management of the carbon budget is as vital as that of the fiscal budget and requires the same level of political attention, civil service commitment, and parliamentary scrutiny.

Enigin can help governments, local authorities, education, health care, commerce and industry to be able to reach carbon reduction targets intelligently and for the long term, whether in the UK or globally.

The Committee stated that the UK Government must first deliver the carbon savings promised in its Low Carbon Transition Plan, then urgently bring forward new measures to increase the rate at which emissions are falling to 2-3 % per year and then move to tighten the budgets and increase the 2020 target for reducing emissions to a cut of 42% on 1990 levels by 2020.

The Committee is calling on the Government to:

  • Invest in establishing credible emissions reduction pathways that go well beyond what is currently regarded as politically possible.
  • Work in international climate change negotiations on getting emissions to peak as soon as possible as a failure to reverse the rise in global emissions before 2020 could render much of the UK's domestic action meaningless.
  • Be open to the possibility that as our scientific knowledge and understanding grows the case for taking action beyond the commitments we have already made will grow.
  • Ensure that policy makers in all parts of government have a good understanding of the importance of limiting cumulative emissions.
  • Move to a target of cutting emissions of greenhouse gases by 42% cut by 2020 and implement the intended budget irrespective of whether or not the EU moves to a 30% target for cutting its emissions, but only once it has shown that it is on track to meet its current targets and budgets.
  • Deliver the carbon savings it has identified in the Low Carbon Transition Plan and then increase the rate at which emissions are falling to meet the 2-3% annual reduction recommended by the Committee on Climate Change.
  • Put the right regulatory framework in place to ensure that the right investment decisions are made and that we do not invest in the wrong high-carbon infrastructure.

Tim Yeo MP, Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee said:

"Setting carbon budgets involves making a series of difficult political judgments that balance what science is telling us with what is affordable, feasible and politically acceptable.

"On balance the Government has got these judgments right. Where it is falling down is on delivery."

Whether you are in the UK or elsewhere, all governments are facing similar problems, Enigin’s network of independent Distributors can help you locally to reduce your carbon emissions, save energy, save the planet and save money.

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Wednesday 13th January 2010