HC Deb 17 September 2003 vol 410 c771W
Mr. Gardiner

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she estimates that the Government are on target to achieve carbon savings of 5 million tonnes by 2010. [129850]

Mr. Morley

The UK's target under the Kyoto Protocol is to reduce emissions of a basket of six greenhouse gases by 12.5 per cent. below base year levels by 2008–12. We estimate that this will equate to a reduction in emissions of around 26 MtC (million tonnes of carbon equivalent) by 2008–12. The UK's domestic target, to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by 20 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2010, is estimated to equate to a reduction of about 33 MtC by 2010.

Data for emissions of the basket of six greenhouse gases for 2001, submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Apri1 2003, show that emissions fell by 12.3 per cent., or 26 MtC, between the base year and 2001. Emissions of carbon dioxide fell by 5.3 per cent., or 9 MtC. Provisional data for 2002 show that total emissions fell by 14–15 per cent. between the base year and 2002, and carbon dioxide emissions fell by 8–9 per cent.

Progress that we have made to date and our latest projections to 2010 contained in the UK's Third National Communication to the UNFCCC indicate that we are well on course to meet our Kyoto commitment. This conclusion is supported by a recent independent assessment by the UNFCCC.