UK Government set to miss CO2 targets
A new report has warned that The UK Government is likely to miss a series of targets for increasing renewable energy and cutting CO2 emissions.
According to Cambridge Econometrics, carbon emissions is estimated to be 15% below 1990 levels by 2020 - far less than the 26-32% interim target suggested in the Draft Climate Change Bill.
And the Government's longer-term goal of a legally binding 60% cut by 2050 is also at risk, the independent economic forecasters said.
While the UK will "comfortably" meet its Kyoto obligations of a 12.75% reduction by 2010, it has already become clear that CO2 emissions will not fall enough to meet the Government's target of a 20% cut by then.
The report also revealed that renewable energy will make up just 5% of the UK's total electricity production by 2010 - half of the 10% target, the report predicts.
And the country will also miss the target of 15% by 2015 demanded by the Renewables Obligation, the mandatory requirement for UK electricity suppliers to source a growing percentage of power from renewable energy generation.
26th August 2007
