Climate change UK news Jan-Mar 2008

News 2008

 * 2007 UK emissions estimated to be 2 per cent lower than in 2006, March 27


 * £4 million to help local authorities fight climate change, March 11 From April, councils’ success in cutting carbon dioxide emissions will be measured as part of a new performance framework. They will also be assessed on their efforts to adapt to the effects of climate change, and to tackle fuel poverty. Many councils are expected to set specific targets to lead the drive to cut back on carbon emissions in their areas.


 * Prime Minister announces Youth Climate change Champions, February 20 topic


 * Mayor of London gives green light to CO2 charge to tackle climate change, February 12


 * CO2 emissions higher than Government admit, Friends of the Earth, January 31 FoE claim the figures would be 6 per cent higher if pollution from international flights was included and is calling on the Government to include these missing emissions in the Climate Change Bill. "Aviation is the fastest growing source of emissions in the UK and has twice the climate impact because the gases are emitted at altitude. Yet the Government has left aviation emissions out of the Climate Change Bill currently being debated in parliament." The Environmental Audit Committee in Parliament has also questioned the Government's logic in leaving emissions out of the Climate Change Bill.


 * Carbon dioxide (CO2 emissions) "virtually the same", January 31  The final figures for all greenhouse gas emissions in the UK in 2006 show that total greenhouse gas emissions were down 0.5 per cent on 2005 levels, while carbon dioxide (CO2), which makes up about 85 per cent of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions, stayed virtually the same (a 0.1 per cent fall). The biggest decrease in CO2 emissions was in the residential sector, with a fall of 4 per cent on 2005 levels, along with a decrease of 1.6 per cent in the business sector.  Other sectors increased, including energy supply (up by 1.5 per cent) and transport (up by 1.3 percent).


 * Scientists urge Government: tougher CO2 cuts, January 21

Comment 2008

 * "Darling's safe pair of hands have dropped the ball on climate change," Greenpeace, March 12


 * Campaign for Better Transport, Greenpeace and FoE applaud London gas-guzzler congestion charge rise, February 12


 * Brown faces 'defining climate decision of his premiership' as new coal plant is backed by Tory controlled Medway council, Greenpeace, January 3. Greenpeace is warning that if the PM gives the green light to a new coal-fired station at Kingsnorth in Kent it would lock Britain into huge carbon emissions for decades and signal Brown's surrender on the UK's long term climate change targets. Claims that the Kingsnorth plant will be "ready" to adopt Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology in the future are undermined by the evidence. A UN report into its viability predicted it won't be able to play any significant role for decades and earlier this year the UK Chancellor Alistair Darling admitted that the system was "in the foothills" and "may never work". Nobel Peace prize winner Al Gore said in January: "I can't understand why there aren't rings of young people blocking bulldozers and preventing them from constructing coal-fired power stations." Last month Dr James Hansen, the climate scientist, wrote a letter to Gordon Brown telling the Prime Minister his energy policy could be a "tipping point for the world."

Earlier periods

 * Climate change UK news Oct-Dec 2007
 * Climate change UK news September 2007
 * Climate change UK news August 2007
 * Climate change UK news July 2007
 * Climate change UK news Apr-Jun 2007
 * Climate change UK news Jan-Mar 2007
 * Climate change UK news 2006 Jul - Dec
 * Climate change UK news 2006 Jan - Jun
 * Climate change UK/News 2005

Related topics

 * Low carbon communities UK news