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Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Answer

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to (a) encourage environmental protection and (b) reduce the UK's contribution to climate change. [216796] Mr. Morley: [holding answer 21 February 2005]: Defra's five year strategy, "Delivering the Essentials of Life" was published in December 2004 and sets out the Department's approach to environmental protection and sustainable development. The UK remains on course to achieve its Kyoto target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5 per cent. below base year levels by 2008-12. The Government recognises that measures in addition to those contained in the UK Climate Change Programme published in 2000 will be needed to achieve the domestic goal of a 20 per cent. reduction in carbon dioxide emissions below 1990 levels by 2010. The current review of the UK Climate Change Programme will give the opportunity for the Government to look carefully at whether to introduce new policies and measures, and/or strengthen existing ones. The review will also consider the action that the UK will need to take to ensure it is on course to make "real progress by 2020" towards the ambitious longer-term goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by some 60 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2050, as set out in the Energy White Paper (2003).

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

216796; 431 c633W;431 c629W

Session

2004-05

Subjects

Climate change Carbon dioxide Environment protection Pollution control Sustainable development

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk