§ Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the United Kingdom greenhouse gas emissions were in(a) 1990 and (b) in each year since 1997; what percentage of these emissions came from the electricity supply industry in (i) 1990 and (ii) in each year since 1997; and what her most recent estimate is of how annual UK greenhouse gas emissions in 2010 will differ from 1990 levels. [85421]
§ Mr. Meacher[holding answer 5 December 2002]: The table shows the UK's total greenhouse gas emissions in 1990 and from 1997 to 2000, the last year for which data are available, and also the percentage of these emissions that came from the electricity supply industry. The rise in emissions between 1999 and 2000 were mainly due to 195W an increased use of coal in the energy mix because of maintenance and repair at nuclear and combined cycle gas turbine stations and higher gas prices.
We estimate that the policies and measures outlined in the climate change programmes may help us reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 23 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2010, which would be equivalent to about 160 million tonnes of carbon.
1990 1997 1998 1999 2000 Greenhouse gases 207.8 191.0 190.7 180.8 181.1 Percentage of emissions from electricity supply industry 27.7 21 21.6 21.8 23.6