The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan and Reaction
The Labour Government in Britain has Explained Green Future Ideas
Jul 18, 2009
Labour's Climate Act was generally welcomed by environmental campaigners, and proclaimed as the first time a world government had laid down concrete plans for the reduction in carbon emissions to acceptable levels for the planet's continuing health. This article provides the main points of the July 15th, 2009 white paper and reaction to it from interested parties.
The UK Government and European Union Green Initiative
The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan white paper was released alongside three others that concern protecting the country and planet from climate change. The other three were: The Low Carbon Industrial Strategy, The UK Renewable Energy Strategy and Low Carbon Transport – A Greener Future.
The UK government's initiative can be seen as being within a broader European climate change drive toward a greener and more environmentally friendly continent and world.
On July 15th, 2009 the UK's Labour government released a white paper that provided detailed plans about how they plan to cut carbon emissions by 34% from 1990 levels by 2020.
The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan Main Points
The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan is a revolutionary with a small r document that sets out the Labour government's hope that by 2020 in Britain:
- More than 1.2 million people will be in green jobs
- 7 million homes will have benefited from whole house makeovers, and more than 1.5 million households will be supported to produce their own clean energy
- Around 40% of electricity will be from low carbon sources, from renewables, nuclear and clean coal
- The UK will be importing half the amount of gas that it otherwise would
- The average new car will emit 40% less carbon than now.
The government claim the document 'is the most systematic response to climate change of any major developed economy, and sets the standard for others in the run up to crucial global climate talks in Copenhagen in December.'
Reaction to the UK Low Carbon White Paper
WWF's Head of Climate Change, Keith Allott, described the white paper as very welcome, adding substance to the groundbreaking plans.
Allott thought it was the first time a British government had taken climate change seriously, and hoped it would create thousands of jobs in the near future while also cutting reliance on imported fossil fuels.
However, Allott did also worry that not all aspects of the strategy were clearly explained, and this cautionary enthusiasm was mirrored by Bryony Worthington, Campaigner Climate and Transport at Friends of the Earth.
Worthington considers that: 'For the first time it seems that climate change has been placed at the heart of energy policy and this has to be congratulated. We are however concerned that the government has got a long way to go to deliver the policies and measures that will ensure the vision outlined in the White Paper is met.'
The British government has set out a clear plan to cut carbon emissions in the country, and if the paper is followed over the next decade it will hopefully help to tackle world climate change.
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