Carbon Plan outlines ‘sensible’ steps to reduce emissions

Alex Blackburne investigates the Government’s Carbon Plan, announced this week, which sets out strategies to reduce “UK emissions by 80% from 1990 levels in 2050“.

The Government has published the Carbon Plan, a scheme that “will help drive new high-value economic sectors and save billions through energy efficiency”, whilst making sure the UK meets its carbon emissions reduction targets.

Although not as ambitious as similar targets laid out by Scotland and Denmark, the UK’s Carbon Plan is a big step forward for a country that is notoriously behind many other European countries in the sector.

The plan lays out an 80% emissions reduction target from 1990 levels by 2050, and in the nearer term, a 50% target by 2020.

“Publishing the Carbon Plan sends two crucial messages”, stated Chris Huhne, the energy and climate change secretary.

“To the negotiators in Durban working this week and next to make progress on a global agreement on climate change, the Carbon Plan shows the UK is walking the walk, demonstrating that it can be done and living up to our promise to show climate leadership.
 
“To the public and businesses at home, rightly worried about the cost of living and state of the economy, the Carbon Plan shows that the gradual rebalancing of our economy away from carbon is achievable and, in the long run, highly desirable.”

Meanwhile, the scheme has been backed by one of the country’s leading environmental think-tanks.

Dustin Benton, senior policy adviser at the Green Alliance, said, “The Carbon Plan demonstrates convincingly that diversifying our energy mix into renewables and CCS [carbon capture and storage] and dramatically cutting demand for energy are cost-effective, sensible steps to reduce our dependency on volatile oil prices and reduce our carbon emissions“.

The best way forward in terms of achieving the Government’s goals is through ethical investment and the use of renewable energies.

Investment in companies and technologies that don’t clutter our atmosphere with harmful gases will ensure that the UK’s, and ultimately the world’s, future is cleaner and greener for all.

To view the Carbon Plan in full, click here.

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