Climate Committee says UK must increase rate of carbon reductions to hit legal targets
Thu 15 October 2009
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In its first annual report to Parliament, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) concludes that the UK will have to increase the pace of emissions reductions in order to meet carbon targets, now a legal obligation under the Climate Change Act. The Committee suggests that new policy approaches may be required in some areas, including a more rapid and widespread roll-out of electric cars and improvements in the efficiency of conventional vehicles.
The Committee says that over the last 5 years emissions reductions have averaged 0.5% per annum, although a 2% reduction had occurred in 2008 largely due to the recession. Its report says that reductions of 2-3%pa will be required to meet the carbon budgets in future.
Declining economic activity is likely to have produced an emissions cut of around 2% in 2008, and recession could reduce emissions in the first budget period by a total of 40-70 million tonnes. But recession-induced reductions must not be confused with underlying progress, which could be undermined by the fall in the carbon price. The UK should now aim to overachieve emissions reductions in the first budget period, the report said.
In the road transport sector, the Committee's report highlighted the importance of consumer behaviour change as an important element in cutting the sector’s carbon emissions, in addition to the technical improvements deriving from lower carbon vehicles and fuels. The Committee says that emission cuts from road transport of 30% by 2020 are possible.
The Committee reiterates its belief that the carbon-efficiency of new cars can and should be reduced from an average of around 158g/km today to 95g/km by 2020. This reduction could be achieved by improvements in the fuel efficiency of conventional cars, but that further reductions beyond 2020 will require a growing role for electric cars.
The report says that manufacturer announcements of electric car initiatives have progressed even more rapidly than the Committee originally envisaged, and significant progress on battery cost reduction continues. The Committee says that to ensure further rapid progress, two new mutually reinforcing government policies are required: Support for new car purchase to drive initial volumes and help manufacturers achieve economies of scale; and support for battery charging infrastructure.
The Committee recommends that the Government should complement financial support committed for electric car purchase with charging infrastructure for up to 240,000 electric cars and plug in hybrids by 2015 on the way to 1.7 million cars in 2020.
It says that the total price support required before EVs and PHEVs break even depends on the pace at which these are rolled out. In what the Committee describes as its 'Extended Ambition scenario' 450,000 vehicles would be sold before EVs and PHEVs break even, and would therefore require price support from Government of around £800 million (the numberof vehicles sold each year multiplied by the price support required in that year).
To view the report, follow the associated link.
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