July 7th, 2011 by Committee on Climate Change
The UK’s Committee on Climate Change (CCC) third progress report to Parliament finds that emissions increased by 3% in 2010, mainly as a result of the colder winter months.
After adjusting for weather impacts, emissions were broadly flat. This is incompatible with the 3% annual average emissions reduction required to meet the first four carbon budgets. A significant acceleration in the pace of emissions reductions is therefore required.
Emissions in 2010 were within the limits of the first carbon budget, however, this was due to the impact that the recession had in 2009, which reduced emissions by 9%.
The report highlights 2 crucial areas of UK Government policy to drive down emissions:
1) It recommends that in its forthcoming White Paper (July 2011) the UK Government should announce new electricity market arrangements based on long term contracts (“contracts for differences”). It stresses the need for a smooth transition from current arrangements to support renewable generation in order to avoid an investment hiatus.
2) It recommends that as part of the Green Deal, the UK Government should commit to ambitious targets to insulate all lofts and cavity walls by 2015, and two million solid walls by 2020. It further recommends that energy companies should be required to deliver these targets or equivalent emissions reductions under the proposed Energy Company Obligation.
The report also shows the need to outperform the currently legislated first three budgets in order to make the fourth carbon budget feasible, and to do this without the purchase of offset credits.
The Committee’s assessment against emissions indicators suggests that there was mixed progress in 2010:
There was good performance in…
There are a number of areas where there was under-performance….
And a number of areas where a significant increase in the pace of policy implementation will be required:
Chair of the Committee on Climate Change, Lord Adair Turner said “the step change that we have previously highlighted has not yet been achieved. Although we can meet the first carbon budget, this is mainly due to the recession. It is crucial that the UK Government sets out detailed policies to support power sector decarbonisation and energy efficiency in homes and businesses. The successful implementation of these policies will determine our ability to meet carbon budgets”
The conclusions are set out in the Committee’s 3rd annual report to Parliament on progress made by Government in 2010 towards reducing emissions.