Policy Hub
A report published by the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) on 11 January 2010 warns that the UK's efforts to tackle climate change could be 'rendered meaningless' if world leaders fail to reverse the growth in global emissions by 2020.
The committee calls on the government to redouble its efforts to cut emissions quickly at home to help build the international political will necessary to secure a binding climate deal in the aftermath of Copenhagen.
The report examines the UK's current progress and finds that the government is only on track to meet its first carbon budget because of the impact of the recession. It argues that ministers have often been too 'optimistic' when projecting how much carbon their policies will cut - and there is now a worrying shortfall in delivery; UK emissions are currently falling by about 1 % per year, instead of the 2-3% per year which the Committee on Climate Change say is needed.