Government insists climate change strategy is working

The government has today published its annual report on its climate change strategy, revealing that it remains on track to cut emissions by 26 per cent on 1990 levels by 2020.

The report, which brings together all the government's recent published climate change data, claims that UK greenhouse gas emissions in 2006 fell 20.6 per cent against the base year of 1990.

Provisional estimates also show that carbon dioxide emissions fell a further two per cent on 2006 levels during 2007 to around 543.7 million tonnes.

Writing in the foreword to the report environment secretary Hilary Benn, said that with projections showing UK emissions in 2010 will be at 15.5 per cent below 1990 levels the fall in emissions meant the country is well "on course to almost double our 12.5 per cent Kyoto Greenhouse Gas target" by 2012.

The shift in the UK fuel mix from carbon intensive coal and oil towards cleaner energy from natural gas was identified as the primary driver behind the fall in emissions. However, the report noted "lower fossil fuel consumption by households and industry" had also played a part in bringing down the UK's carbon footprint.

A spokeswoman for Defra said that the data provided evidence that the government measures to curb emissions such as the climate change bill, green taxes and incentives to help businesses and households improve energy efficiency, are having as positive impact. "We must be doing something right," she said.