UK Proposes Fourth Carbon Budget - Emissions to be cut by 50% by 2025
27 May 2011
A limit on the total amount of greenhouse gases to be emitted by the UK between 2003 to 2027 has been proposed to cut Britain's emissions by 50% from 1990 levels and highlighting the Government's commitment to being the greenest government ever.
The proposal, set out by Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne, is in line with advice from the independent Committee on Climate Change. It sets a fourth carbon budget of 1950 MtCO2e for the period that will span from 2023 to 2027, putting the UK on course to cut emissions by at least 80% by 2050. The carbon budget will place the British economy at the leading edge of a new global industrial transformation, and ensure low carbon energy security and decarbonisation is achieved at least cost to the consumer.
- In line with the Coalition Agreement, Government will continue to argue for an EU move to a 30% target for 2020, and ambitious action in the 2020s.
- Before the end of the year we will announce a package of measures to reduce the impact of government policy on the cost of electricity for energy intensive industries and to help them adjust to the low-carbon industrial transformation.
The Prime Minister said, " This is the right approach if we are to combat climate change, secure our energy supplies for the long-term and seize the economic opportuniies that green industries hold. The transition to a low-carbon economy is necessary, real and global."