Cutting Britain's carbon footprint
Updated on 15 July 2009
The government pledges to cut emissions in every sector of the economy as they predict carbon-cutting to be one of the only areas of growth during the recession.
The UK low carbon goods and services sector is expected to grow by more than 4 per cent a year up to 2014/15.
Britain's low carbon emission plan announced later today will detail how emission cuts are to be achieved in four main sectors: power, transport, agriculture and in the workplace.
For each sector the white paper will outline -
- the policies already in place
- how much each sector will contribute to the emission targets
- how successful they have been in meeting targets in the past
- what further action is needed
The 2008 climate change act means the UK must legally reach its "carbon budget", requiring a reduction in emissions of 34 per cent by 2020 and at least 80 per cent by 2050.
Accompanying documents also published today will reveal how the country plans to tackle the various emission targets.
The renewable energy strategy is expected to detail how UK plans to get 15 per cent of energy for utilities such as electricity from renewable sources by 2020. There are plans to increase large scale renewable energy and in particular wind - with proposals for some 4,000 new onshore turbines and a further 3,000 offshore.
But the government has come under fire for the impact of renewable energy on people's fuel bills in the future.
The government's consultation on renewable energy last year estimated meeting targets to increase green power could lead to a rise in fuel bills of almost £230 a year by the end of the next decade.
But officials say revised estimates will show the costs of a switch to green energy will be lower than that.
The low carbon industrial strategy is expected to set out steps taken to harness the jobs and growth opportunities across the UK economy in the shift to low carbon.
And the low carbon transport paper will outline the contribution that transport will make to the UK's efforts in reducing emissions using elements such as biofuels and electric vehicles.
Among the schemes to be launched today will be a "pay as you save" programme for homeowners to receive loans to insulate their homes, with the money repaid from savings on energy bills.
And people who install small scale renewables such as solar panels or wind turbines will be paid, through a "feed-in tariffs" programme, for the electricity they generate.
Friends of the Earth have welcomed the report but warned that there had been far too much "hot air" surrounding the issue.
Executive director Andy Atkins said: "The government has a unique opportunity to build on its groundbreaking climate change act and show bold international leadership ahead of crucial UN climate negotiations by setting out a detailed route map for slashing UK emissions and delivering a safer, greener future for us all.
"Now we need tough and urgent action."
In June the government urged all countries to peak greenhouse gas output by 2020 in order to stop rising emissions and avoid dangerous climate change.
World leaders are due to discuss climate change in Copenhagen this December.
