UK's Green Success
Padraic Calpin on the UK keeping to the targets
The UK’s current stance on Green policy is mixed at best: despite Coalition pledges to be the ‘Greenest Government Ever’, Cameron and Clegg have come under repeated fire, whether over the planned ‘Dash for Gas’, or the Tory energy minister insisting on challenging the coalition policy on onshore Wind Farms. And yet, there’s been a spate of positive news too.
Kyoto Targets Met
In a surprising story, the Guardian reported at the end of last month that last year, the UK actually made the biggest cuts in emissions of any EU nation, well exceeding its Kyoto target for the year. Emissions fell 6%, driven by mild weather, a sluggish economy and a small increase in renewables generation.
The EU as a whole is also exceeding its Kyoto target, despite individual nations such as Spain and Italy failing to meet their personal cuts. Despite the lack of a global deal at the 2009 Copenhagen summit, the EU is also on track to meet its target cut of 20% by 2020 agreed three years ago.
Greenest Games Ever
The first report into the sustainability efforts of LOCOG and the 2012 Olympic Games found that the Games are on course to meet their sustainability targets, making them the “Greenest Ever”. As well as sending no waste to landfill and reusing, recyling or composting 70% of all waste, 20% reductions in carbon emissions are also on track. The report says that with better planning, even greater reductions could have been made, but praised the efforts of the UK.
