§ 4. Sir Robert SmithIf he will make a statement on the Government's strategy for meeting the target of a 20 per cent. reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from 1990 levels.[14844]
§ Mr. PrescottWe shall consult next spring on a programme that will address our 20 per cent. target and the legally binding commitments that we shall have as a result of the Kyoto conference. All sectors of the economy must be prepared to play a part. I welcome the willingness of the chemical industry, for example, to make a commitment to reduce its specific energy consumption compared with 1990 levels by 20 per cent. by 2005.
§ Sir Robert SmithI thank the Minister for his answer, as far as it goes. Does he accept that the best way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions is to reduce energy consumption, and in particular carbon-based energy? To that end, will he join us in supporting—next week rather than next spring—the national home energy conservation week by lobbying the Chancellor to cut VAT on energy insulation materials to the same level as energy supply in his green budget later this month?
§ Mr. PrescottAll these matters will be considered at the appropriate time. Taxation changes will be considered by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who has made a start in considering taxation with regard to environmental gains, as he did with the charge on petrol. There are many other things that we must actively consider in these matters. Transport has a very important part to play in reducing CO2 gases. Our White Paper will be published in the spring. We are looking at renewable energy and at more efficiency in energy production. All these areas are actively under review, in line with wanting to meet the target that we set ourselves of reducing carbon dioxide emissions to 20 per cent. of 1990 levels by 2010.
§ Mr. TippingWill the Deputy Prime Minister remember the special contribution that coal and the coal energy generation industry has made in reducing targets? Will he accept my backing of everything that he is doing to protect the coal industry and coalfield communities?
§ Mr. PrescottYes. It does well for the House to remind itself that one of the consequences of meeting our environmental target, which we are so proud to proclaim internationally, as one of only three countries to do so, was the considerable destruction of the coal industry. That has had tremendous detrimental effects on coalfield communities. That is why I set up a task force to deal primarily with this problem, because we have a responsibility to deal with the consequences of climatic change on the areas that are detrimentally affected by it.
§ Sir Sydney ChapmanDoes the Deputy Prime Minister share the keen disappointment of so many people 135 that President Clinton has reneged on the United States Government's commitment at the Rio summit to stabilise emissions by 2000 AD on 1990 levels, by putting it back by 13 years? Will the Deputy Prime Minister use whatever influence he has to try to get a change of opinion from the United States Government?
§ Mr. PrescottWe should recall that only three countries achieved the target that was set at Rio. That is why all the nations have agreed the legal targets that we are attempting to impose now with the Kyoto conference. Although the Americans have said that they now accept those legal targets, to accept the zero target that they set themselves will mean a reduction in CO2 gases of 25 per cent. —an even bigger cut than has been witnessed in some European countries. Nevertheless we must encourage them to do more.
Indeed, I recently met Vice-President Gore to talk about precisely that. I leave on Thursday to talk to the Prime Ministers of India, New Zealand and Australia, and to talk to the Environment Minister in Japan to see how we can get an agreement and encourage people to do a lot more to meet the targets. We are doing that, and Britain is playing a leading part in attempting to achieve it.