Total UK CO2 emissions rise in 2004
Tue 04 January 2005
View all news
Total UK emissions of carbon dioxide from all sources rose by 1.5% in 2004 according to the latest Government figures. The provisional 2004 rise in total emissions follows a rise of 2.2% in 2003. However, the full 'basket' of six greenhouse gases were around 12.5% below 1990 levels in 2004.
A Defra news release states that the overall 2004 increase in CO2 was mainly the result of rises in emissions from the wider transport and industrial sectors.
The UK aims to move beyond its Kyoto target to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 20% below 1990 levels by 2010 and to put the country on a path to reduce emissions by 60% by 2050.
According to a report in The Guardian, a Government spokesman said that new measures will be required to achieve the targets.
Meanwhile, EU heads of government have agreed to aim for a target of a 15-30% reduction in carbon dioxide levels, compared with Kyoto target levels, by 2020.
For the first time, the national leaders also agreed to back an existing EU goal that global temperatures should not be allowed to rise to more than two degrees centigrade above pre-industrial levels.
Related Links
Defra - Provisional climate change statistics
Guardian report
EU Presidency Conclusions, March 2005
< Back to news list