CO2 emissions fell by 8.6% last year.

The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has said that the economic downturn is responsible for the 8.6% drop in CO2 emissions experienced last year.

Major changes have been called for by The Committee on Climate Change in an annual review presented to the government.

The CCC’s annual report follows a year which has seen an 8.6% drop in carbon emissions, the highest annual reduction in carbon emissions experienced by the UK since 1990, mainly due to recession but also rising fossil fuel prices.

Areas Of Change

The CCC have identified 4 main areas it says the government needs to invest and control if the UK is to achieve its target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 34 percent on 1990 levels by 2020.

These 4 areas are: Electricity generation, agriculture, home insulation and electric cars.

The CCC advises the government there should be more incentives for electricity generators to use low carbon alternative technologies such as “clean” coal and gas plants, as well as pushing home insulation to the public.

Focus is also on cutting emissions in agriculture by encouraging farmers to be more efficient with fertilisers, perhaps by introducing a fertiliser tax, and providing funding opportunities for companies developing electric cars to speed up the process of their introduction and swiftly get more on the road.

The CCC has also suggested the possibility that the government could increase their reduction target from 34 to 40 percent, and call for the EU to increase their target from 20 to 30 percent.