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Government Targets and Achieving Carbon Reductions
The UK government has made a number of pledges now to reduce the environmental impact of businesses within the UK. These pledges also cover the general public as they bid to reduce carbon emissions throughout the UK to the levels set out in the Koyoto treaty and the Energy White Paper.
Current government targets state that we need to reach a 10% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2010. By 2020 they have pledged to reduce the UK’s carbon emissions by 12Mt/yr.
Whether these targets are reachable is another matter. There are a number of initiatives which are being implemented with the aim of reaching these targets, but whether they are enough is yet to be established.
Energy is the key area where reductions are going to be achieved. Alternatives to fossil fuels are now growing in popularity. Coupled with the development of new renewable energy power sources there are a number of ways that we can all do our bit to reduce carbon emissions in the UK, whether at home or in work. Some of these are listed below.
- 3500 wind turbines should reduce CO2 emissions by 17Mt/yr
- Move away from fossil fuel power generation to new technologies such as hydro power. geothermal energy and energy from waste.
- Reduce the mile we drive and car sharing.
- Reduce food miles – the average UK meal has travelled a staggering 2000 miles from farm to plate. Reducing these food miles could have a dramatic affect on carbon emissions.
- Reuse of carbon already in the cycle by recycling it
There are also a number of ways each of us can help to reduce our personal carbon footprints. Some of these include:
- Don’t’ buy individually packaged products – if you do check the packaging can be recycled.
- Choose rechargeable batteries wherever possible.
- Recycle rags at home instead of using a new one each time.
- Buy more recycled products – envelopes, rubbish bags, paper
- Buy and fit energy efficient bulbs through your house
- Ensure that TV’s, stereo’s and Satellite TV boxes are turned off at the plug each night and not left on standby.
- Ensure that lights are turned off when you leave the room.
- Put lids on saucepans when cooking
If we all do these things we will be on the way to a low carbon economy, and coupled with new initiatives in waste and energy significant carbon reduction can be achieved. However, it seems unlikely that the UK will manage to hit the 2010 target of 20%.