§ Mr. CarmichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress her Department has made in cutting carbon emissions; and if she will make a statement on the likelihood of the UK achieving its emissions targets set by the Kyoto protocol. [44416]
§ Mr. MeacherI have been asked to reply.
The UK's Third National Communication on Climate Change, published last October, reports progress with implementing our climate change programme. We have made excellent progress so far in cutting greenhouse emissions which we estimate have fallen by about 13 per cent. between 1990 and 2000. The Climate Change Programme, published in November 2000, outlines a range of policies that we estimate could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 23 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2010. This is well in excess of our 12.5 per cent. Kyoto target.