New greenhouse gas reduction target of 80%

Originally posted @ 10:57 pm, Tue 7th Oct 2008

The Committee on Climate Change are recommending 80% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

(see – http://www.theccc.org.uk/downloads/Interim%20report%20letter%20to%20DECC%20SofS.pdf )

The reasons for the change in the target are -

• greater knowledge of how rising temperatures will reduce the effectiveness of carbon sinks (e.g. methane trapped under the ocean floor);

• better knowledge of the warming effects of gases other than CO2;

• the reduction in the summer Arctic sea ice, and the summer melt of the Greenland ice, has been greater than previously predicted;

• atmospheric pollution has probably masked some of the greenhouse gas warming that would have occurred; and progress is being made to improve air quality;

• greater understanding of the range of potential climate change impacts, their regional variation and the possibility of abrupt or irreversible changes, suggesting greater damages once temperature increases become significant;

• latest global emission trends are higher because of higher economic growth and a shift towards more carbon intensive sources of energy.

The Prime Minister said in his party conference speech –

"And I am asking the climate change committee to report ... on the case for, by 2050 not a 60% reduction in our carbon emissions, but an 80% cut - and I want British companies and British workers to seize the opportunity and lead the world in the transformation to a low carbon economy and I believe that we can create in modern green manufacturing and service one million new jobs."