Britain will miss its internationally agreed targets for reducing the greenhouse gases which cause global warming, independent energy analysts warn today. The government has committed itself to reducing emissions of CO2, the main greenhouse gas, to 20% below their 1990 levels by 2010. But a report from Cambridge Econometrics published today predicts Britain will miss this target by a "considerable margin".
"CO2 emissions will increase over the next decade and in 2010 will be only 6.5% lower than in 1990," the report's author, Charlie Hargreaves, said.
The main culprits are road users and households, say the researchers. Thanks to the so-called dash for gas, CO2 emissions from power generators in 2010 are expected to be 23% lower than in 1990, while more efficient use of energy will allow industry to cut emissions by more than 15%.But households and car owners will have to become more energy efficient as well if Britain is to meet the targets it agreed at the Kyoto climate change talks in 1997.
"While the 20% target is still within reach, its achievement requires yet further policy initiatives," Mr Hargreaves said.
UN scientists believe that the world's average temperature will rise by 6C this century, even after implementation of the Kyoto framework targets, which many countries have yet to sign up to.
