UK Unveils Global Energy Strategy But Home Emissions Higher

LONDON, UK, October 29, 2004 (ENS) - Urgent international action is needed to tackle climate change and secure sustainable energy supplies, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said Thursday. Launching the Blair government's new international energy strategy, Straw said that Britain is "leading by example."

The International Energy Strategy carries government pledges to tackle climate change, curb carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and diversify the energy mix to lessen dependence on fossil fuels.

Straw said, "Mitigating the effects of climate change and ensuring we have secure and affordable energy supplies are vital to Britain's future prosperity and security. The challenge ahead of us is complex and global - it requires not just domestic but international action."

UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw (Photo courtesy UK Government)

The government promised to work for good governance and development in energy producing countries vulnerable to instability, to improve the long term stability of the international energy market, and to help the poorest countries, especially in Africa, which are hardest hit by climate change and rising fossil fuel prices.

Secretary of State for Trade and Industry Patricia Hewitt, said, "Internationally, if governments continue with their current energy policies, the world's energy needs and the level of CO2 emissions will be 60 percent higher in 2030 than they are now. That's why we are pushing this agenda internationally and taking action ourselves now.

But the government took criticism from Liberal Democrats and environmental groups because just one day before government officials promised to tackle global climate change, they asked the European Commission for a three percent increase in permitted emission levels of CO2, the primary greenhouse gas.

The government published its National Allocation Plan in May, based on interim projections of greenhouse gas emissions over the period 2005 to 2007. The allocations have now been reviewed in the light of "the new climate change agreement targets agreed with industry," the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said Wednesday.

Norman Baker, Liberal Democrat environment spokesman, said request for an emissions increase shows "the worst kind of hypocrisy."

Industrial skyline, Middlesbrough, England (Photo by Ian Britton courtesy FreeFoto)

"The government cannot expect other countries to respect international agreements on climate change, when it alters the targets to suit itself."

But Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Margaret Beckett said, "Overall, the emissions cap will take the UK beyond its Kyoto commitment, and is consistent with its domestic goal of moving towards a 20 percent reduction in CO2 emissions on 1990 levels by 2010."

The UK's greenhouse gas target under the Kyoto Protocol is eight percent of the 1990 emissions baseline.

"Climate change can only be tackled through concerted international action, so I strongly welcome the publication of this strategy," Beckett said. "The international process was given a huge boost when the Duma approved President Putin's proposal to ratify Kyoto. The UK is looking to build on this during its forthcoming presidencies of the G8 and European Union."

The UK takes the Presidency of the G8 in 2005, and the British Presidency of the European Union runs from July 1 through December 31, 2005.

Announcing the International Energy Strategy at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Straw said climate change will be a priority of Britain's G8 Presidency next year.

"We will aim then to get a consensus on the science and the urgency of the problem, and agreement on a process to speed up the measures we need to take to meet the threat," he said. "And we will engage with those countries outside the G8 with growing energy needs, to help them to meet those needs sustainably and to adapt to the impacts of climate change."

Straw said he will ask British ambassadors and high commissioners in priority posts overseas "to take personal charge" of implementing the strategy and delivering its objectives.

"We will be developing with them individual Country Action Plans on energy and climate change. And we will be enhancing our posts' capacity on energy issues and making better use of our network of energy attaches, with a particular focus on the large new consumers of energy such as China and India, and producers such as Russia."