UK pledges 50% reduction of carbon emissions by 2025

Chris Huhne, the Energy and Climate Change Minister, said the UK would drastically speed up green measures from 2020, ultimately cutting carbon by 60 per cent by 2030 on 1990 levels.

This will mean massive investment in renewables like wind farms and strict energy efficiency measures to make business and our homes less wasteful.

The announcement is not only a welcome distraction from Mr Huhne’s current personal problems but a political victory after a rift in Cabinet in which some ministers opposed the proposals.

George Osborne, the Chancellor, and his own Lib Dem colleague Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, complained that the plans would damage the manufacturing industry by bringing in green taxes.

But in the end David Cameron intervened to support the ambitious cuts.

Speaking in support of his beleaguered minister, the Prime Minister said Number 10 had helped to bring together the warring Cabinet.

“Britain is now leading the world in setting out how we are going to get to a 50 per cent reduction in emissions over the years ahead,” he said.

The Climate Change Act of 2008 sets a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the UK by at least 80 per cent on 1990 levels by 2050, and also requires the Government to set carbon budgets.

The Committee on Climate Change will now monitor the Government’s efforts to keep to latest budget beyond 2020. There is already a carbon budget in place to cut emissions by 34 per cent by 2020.

Analysts said the UK will have to generate 97 per cent of electricity from low carbon sources like nuclear or wind, insulate 3.5 million homes and ensure 60 per cent of new cars run on electricity by 2030 to meet the target. Green taxes will force industry and business to cut carbon.

Read more at The Independent.

Tags: Europe & Russia, United Kingdom

Category: News