Energy Policy of The United Kingdom - Carbon Emissions Reduction

Carbon Emissions Reduction

Joining over 170 other nations the UK has committed to reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, with consequent constraints to its energy policy. The UK produces four percent of the world’s greenhouse gases as of 2003, compared to 23 percent by the US and 20 percent for the rest of Europe. The long term reduction goal for carbon emissions is 80 percent decrease by the year 2050. A scheme of trading for carbon emission credits has been developed in Europe that will allow some of the reduction to arise from economic transactions.

Road transport emissions reduction has been stimulated since 1999 by the banding of Vehicle Excise Duty. Bands for new vehicles are based on the results of a laboratory test, designed to calculate the theoretical potential emissions of the vehicle in grammes of CO₂ per kilometre travelled, under ideal conditions.

Average carbon emissions fell from 192 to 172 grams/mile between 1995 and 2004. Aviation fuel is not regulated under the Kyoto Protocol, so that if the UK is successful in carbon emission reduction, aviation will constitute 25 percent of UK generated greenhouse gases by the year 2030.

The UK government has one project in the planning stage for natural gas fed power generation with carbon capture by seawater. This facility is contemplated at Peterhead, Scotland, a relatively remote exposure to the North Sea.