Written question asked by Caroline Lucas (Green Party) on Tuesday, 26 October 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 28 October 2010. It was answered by Charles Hendry (Conservative) on Tuesday, 2 November 2010 on behalf of the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Nuclear Power: Carbon Emissions

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the statement of 27 July 2010, Official Report, columns 867-881, on the Annual Energy Statement, what assumptions his Department has made in respect of the quantities of carbon emissions arising from the front end of the nuclear fuel cycle, including uranium mining, milling, enrichment and fuel fabrication, in the model used in its calculator of potential energy pathways by 2050.

Answer: The 2050 pathways calculator presents a high-level framework through which to consider some of the choices and trade-offs which the UK will have to make in the over the next forty years. It shows that it is possible for us to meet the 80% greenhouse gas emissions reduction target in the UK in a range of ways.The 2050 pathways calculator takes as its starting point the actual UK emissions at 2007. Emissions originating from the overseas manufacture of products which the UK imports, such as uranium, are not included in the UK's 80% emissions reduction target for 2050 as defined in the Climate Change Act and consistent with international carbon reporting practice. These 'embedded emissions' are therefore also not included within the 2050 pathways analysis.The 2050 pathways calculator models a wide range of future scenarios from 2007 to 2050. Given the need to ensure that the functioning and content of the model is manageable, it has been necessary to keep it as simple as possible. The UK-based emissions from energy infrastructure, materials and processes (such as enrichment and fuel fabrication) are intended to be captured within the 'Industry' sector of the 2050 pathways calculator, and no explicit assumptions were made about emissions from the specific processes mentioned in the question.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 20749; 517 c722W
Session: 2010-12
Related items: Annual Energy Statement
Tuesday, 27 July 2010
Parliamentary proceedings
House of Commons
Subjects: Nuclear power Carbon emissions
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk