§ Lord Juddasked Her Majesty's Government:
What action they are taking to ensure that aspirations of the Kyoto Protocol are achieved; and what action they are initiating to engage the international community in the reduction of global warming beyond 2012. [HL1231]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty)The UK Climate Change Programme focuses on policies and measures across all sectors to meet our Kyoto target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5 per cent below 1990 levels by 2012, and move towards our domestic goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions to 20 per cent below 1990 levels by 2010.
Provisional estimates show that greenhouse gas emissions have fallen by 14 per cent between 1990 and 2003, and are projected to be 21 per cent below by 2010. We are comfortably on track to meet our Kyoto target.
The Prime Minister has made climate change a priority for our presidencies of the G8 and EU this year. The G8 presidency is already underway and we are hoping to make progress in building on climate change science, technology and on engaging countries with growing energy needs such as India and China.
The UK was particularly instrumental in the negotiations at the Tenth Conference of the Parties in Buenos Aires in December; we helped to establish 196WA consensus on an adaptation package for developing countries, and agreement was also reached on holding a seminar in May to begin to look at what the international community would like to see happen after the first Kyoto Protocol commitment period ends in 2012.