The key facts, figures, and policies behind the United Kingdom’s climate performance in 2009.
 | Animation: G8 Climate Scorecards 2009Click on the image to see the climate performance of the G8 countries (Animation: Allianz) |
Improvements since 1990
G8 Ranking: 3
-Past emission trend from 1990 to 2007: -17.3%
-Current (2007) distance to the Kyoto target: -5.2%-points
-Increase of the share of renewable energy sources: +1.5%-points
Current Status
G8 Ranking: 4
-Emissions per capita: 11 tons CO2
-Emissions per GDP: 334 tons CO2 /M$
-CO2 per kWh electricity: 572 grams CO2
-Emissions in transport per capita: 2.2 tons CO2
Policies for the future
G8 Ranking: 2
- Climate Change Act 2008 introduces legally binding long-term target to cut emissions by at least 80 percent by 2050 and at least 34 percent by 2020 compared to 1990 levels
- Ambitious goal to reduce CO2 emissions from new houses to zero by 2016
- Slow penetration of renewables given substantial resource (notably wind and marine)
- Negotiated only modest energy efficiency targets with industry-sector associations
- EU emission limits for new cars of 130g/km to be phased in from 2012 to 2015
- Controversial new coal power plants planned, requiring carbon capture and storage
 | United Kingdom's Emission TrendsClick on the image to see the United Kingdom's emission trends since 1990 (Graphic: WWF/Allianz) |
The UK ranks number two in the WWF/Allianz Climate Scorecards report because of its progressive climate policies and because emissions are already below the Kyoto target, largely due to a transition from coal to gas in the 1990s.
The strong national climate debate has led to innovative national policies, such as the Climate Change Act, and there is potential for this to drive significant emission reductions in the future in areas where progress has been missing: renewables, transport, households, and services.
The UK has initiated debate on climate change within the G8 and international fora, providing leadership by example through comprehensive national policies. However, it has a weak record on renewables and has backtracked in some areas, abandoning a policy to increase road fuel taxation annually and lowering obligations for renewable transport fuels.
The UK has also agreed to European Union targets for 2020: reduce GHG emissions 20 percent below 1990 levels and 30 percent if other countries commit to reductions; reduce energy consumption by 20 percent; and increase the share of renewable energy in the UK’s energy mix to 15 percent. New nuclear power is also planned.
editor: James Tulloch
publishing date: July 1, 2009
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