§ Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to paragraph 2.27 of the Energy White Paper, Cm 5761, what areas of liaison she expects to develop with the European Parliament to implement the proposals on emissions trading. [100079]
§ Mr. MeacherI have been asked to reply.
The Department takes the lead in negotiations on the EU Emissions Trading Directive. Political agreement was reached on the proposed Directive at Environment Council on 9 December 2002. The European Parliament will begin its second reading shortly. Officials from my Department have had meetings with the rapporteur for the Directive in the European Parliament and a number of Members of the Parliament to discuss the agreement reached in Council and the prospects for the Parliament's second reading. I expect further discussions with the European Parliament to take place during the second reading process. The trading scheme is due to begin in 2005. There is provision for the European Commission to bring forward proposals to amend the scheme, including extending its scope to cover other sectors and gases, before the start of the second phase in 2008. Any proposals would be subject to agreement between Council and Parliament, and I would expect these to lead to further discussions with the European Parliament.
§ Sue DoughtyTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage improvement in energy efficiency would be required to deliver from the household sector the(a) 5 MtC saving between 2002 and 2010 and (b) the 6 MtC saving between 2010 and 2020 identified in the Energy White Paper. [100783]
§ Mr. MeacherI have been asked to reply.
Assuming continuation of past trends for the growth in household demand for energy, an additional annual saving of 5 MtC by 2010 would correspond to an energy efficiency improvement of approximately 20 per cent. relative to the year 2000. This represents broadly a doubling of the average rate of improvement seen in the 1990s.
12WA further 4 to 6 MtC of annual.savings by 2020 would correspond to an efficiency improvement compared with 2010 of around 18 to 22 per cent.