§ Mr. StunellTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to introduce(a) economic and (b) fiscal instruments to reduce HFC emissions in the refrigeration market sector. [87688]
§ Ms HewittUnder the Kyoto Protocol the UK is committed to a legally binding target of a 12.5 per cent. reduction in greenhouse gas emissions below 1990 levels by 2008–12. The Government will be consulting later this year on the policy options for achieving our emissions targets, including options for reducing HFC emissions.
During 1996 and 1997, the Government negotiated five voluntary agreements with the various industry sectors including the refrigeration industry, to limit both use and emissions of HFCs. Under current policies HFC emissions are expected to fall by a substantial amount. The latest projections show that HFCs will contribute only around 1 per cent. of total UK greenhouse gas emissions, calculated in terms of the global warming contribution, by 2010.