§ Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps have been taken by the Government since the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 to(a) set goals on environmental protection and (b) improve eco-efficiency and resource productivity relating to energy issues; and what these (i) goals and (ii) improvements have been. [44341]
§ Mr. MeacherThe UK is one of the few OECD countries to have met, and gone beyond, the target agreed at the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992 to return its emissions of greenhouse gases to 1990 levels by 2000. It is estimated that UK emissions were more than 13 per cent. below 1990 levels in 2000.
The UK published its climate change programme in November 2000. This sets out how the UK will deliver its Kyoto target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2008–12, and move towards its domestic goal to cut CO2 emissions by 20 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2010.
The programme contains a substantial, integrated package of policies and measures. It will improve business use of energy, stimulate new, more efficient sources of power generation, including renewables, cut emissions from the transport sector, promote better energy efficiency in the residential sector, and ensure that the public sector takes a leading role.
Following publication of the PIU Energy Review 14 February 2002, the Government plan to publish a White Paper later this year which, with full consultation, will consider the future of Government policy on sustainable energy.
The Government have introduced a wide range of measures, including market incentives, financial assistance, legal obligations, and guidance and information, to promote energy efficiency in all sectors of the economy. These include:
the energy efficiency commitment (EEC) on domestic energy supplies, from 2002 to 2005;the climate change levy and climate change agreements;the UK emissions trading scheme;revised building regulations which require high energy efficiency standards;the market transformation programme;a wide range of measures to support combined heat and power (CHP);substantial Government funding of the Energy Saving Trust and the Carbon Trust to promote and support energy efficiency in the domestic, public, industry and business sectors.