UK welcomes EU energy and climate package
January 28, 2008
The UK has welcomed an ambitious EU package of proposed energy and climate legislation for tackling climate change and delivering a low carbon economy in Europe.
The package contains proposals to implement the decisions agreed by EU Heads of State and Government at the 2007 Spring European Council, including:
- a 20% reduction in EU greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, increasing to 30% when there is an international climate agreement
- for 20% of total EU energy consumption to come from renewables by 2020
- measures to support the development of carbon capture and storage (CCS), including up to 12 CCS demonstration projects
The proposals put the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) at the heart of EU climate policy, including establishing an EU-wide central cap on emissions covered by the EU ETS to 2020 and beyond, ensuring both scarcity and certainty, in contrast to the current system of Member States setting emissions caps for their own economies.
For the UK, the Commission's proposals include:
- a reduction of 16% in UK greenhouse gas emissions from sectors not covered by the EU ETS by 2020 from 2005 levels
- for 15% of the energy consumed in the UK to come from renewable sources by 2020
- for 10% of road transport fuels to come from renewable sources, subject to them being produced in a sustainable way
Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said that the proposals sent a clear signal to the world that Europe was taking decisive action to fight climate change.
Business Secretary, John Hutton, said, "The UK remains committed to meeting its share of the EU renewables target."
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