§ Mr. Nigel JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of progress towards implementing the Kyoto agreement by(a) the United Kingdom, (b) other members of the European Union and (c) the United States of America. [57881]
§ Mr. MealeOn 26 October we became one of the first developed countries to launch a consultation paper on meeting its Kyoto commitments. The paper lists the steps we have already taken and sets out in detail further options on how the UK could reduce its emissions of greenhouse gases. It demonstrates that the UK is well placed to meet both its legally binding Kyoto target to cut greenhouse gas emissions to 12.5% below 1990 levels by 2008 to 2012 and our domestic aim of a 20% cut in CO2, emissions by 2010. Greenhouse gas emissions are already about 7% below 1990 levels; and, on current policies, would be about 10% below by 2010.
640WEuropean Union Member States are required under the Council Decision for a monitoring mechanism of Community C02 and other greenhouse gas emissions to report annually on their emissions. The UK Government monitor these reports closely. This mechanism has now been amended to allow assessment of progress towards meeting Member States' Kyoto targets.
Through our Washington Embassy and other contacts I receive regular reports of action taken, and proposed, by the US Government to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. A recent US Administration report ("The Kyoto Protocol and the President's Policies to Address Climate Change: Administration Economic Analysis", July 1998) assessing the economic implications of their Kyoto target concluded that there was a strong rationale for action because of the dangers of climate change, and that the costs of doing so were likely to be modest.