DEPARTMENT FOR
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS News Release (89/08) issued by
The Government News Network on 27 March 2008
Environment
Secretary Hilary Benn today said that the UK is making progress on
cutting Greenhouse Gas emissions, but there is still much work to do.
Provisional statistics published today for total UK Greenhouse
Gas emissions for 2007 showed a drop of two per cent over the
previous year, with 639.4 million tonnes carbon dioxide
equivalent, down from 652.3 million tonnes in 2006.
They also show that in 2007, UK net emissions of Carbon Dioxide
(CO2) were provisionally estimated to be 543.7 million tonnes.
This was two per cent lower than the 2006 figure of 554.5 million tonnes.
The decrease in CO2 emissions resulted from fuel switching from
coal to natural gas for electricity generation, combined with
lower fossil fuel consumption by households and industry.
Secretary of State for the Environment, the Rt. Hon. Hilary Benn said:
"These figures show we are making progress in cutting
emissions and are on target to go beyond our Kyoto targets. But
there's much to do at home and abroad if we are to going to
avert dangerous climate change.
"We need to see a major change across the whole of the UK
economy if we are to meet the ambitious emissions reduction
targets set in the Climate Change Bill. To aid this, the
Government will develop carbon markets and promote the development
of low carbon technology, while continuing to work to get
international agreement on global emissions targets.
"But while the Government can provide encouragement and
incentives, we also need individuals and businesses to do their
bit to cut their carbon footprint because it's only by all of
us tackling climate change that we will achieve success."
Energy Minister, the Rt. Hon. Malcolm Wicks said:
"Today's figures show that we are on the way to a low
carbon future. Energy efficiency, more renewable energy, new
nuclear and carbon capture and storage technology will all play a
key part in ensuring that greenhouse gas emissions continue to fall."
Notes to editors
1. All the statistics released today are estimated in accordance
with the rules agreed internationally for reporting to the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol
and the European Union. As a consequence the statistics include
domestic flights but not international flights since there is
currently no internationally agreed method to take account of
international aviation emissions.
2. These provisional emissions estimates will be subject to
revision when the final estimates are published in early 2009;
however, they provide an early indication of emissions in the most
recent full calendar year. The majority of provisional estimates
are within 1 per cent of the final figures.
3. The figures for 1990 to 2006 in this statistics release are
from the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (NAEI), produced
for Defra and the Devolved Administrations by AEA Energy &
Environment. Additional results will be released as they become
available, including a full report published towards the end of
the year. For further information on the UK Greenhouse Gas
Inventory, see the NAEI web site.
4. The climate change indicator is one of the 68 indicators
supporting the Government's Sustainable Development Strategy.
5. There are uncertainties associated with all estimates of
greenhouse gas emissions. However, although for any given year
considerable uncertainties may surround the emissions estimates
for a pollutant, it is important to note that trends over time are
likely to be much more reliable. It is also important to note that
the provisional 2007 estimates are subject to a greater range of
uncertainty than the final figures for earlier years. For more
information on these uncertainties see the Digest of Environmental Statistics.
6. Further details of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme
can be found at the EU ETS section of the Defra website.
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