Research Projects

Meeting the UK’s 2010 CO2 target

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Contact Email: j.bird@ippr.org

Introduction

This project is part of The Low Carbon Programmme.

The first project completed in the new phase of the low carbon programme aimed to devise quantified measures to reduce emissions from power generation, industry, transport and household sectors to get the UK back on track to reducing its carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions by 20 per cent below 1990 levels by 2010.

Further Information

The project's final report, Climate commitment: meeting the UK’s 2010 CO2 emissions target by Tony Grayling, Tim Lawrence and Tim Gibbs, was published on 31st October 2005 and was debated at a joint seminar with the Sustainable Development Commission on 9th November 2005. It was cited in editorials in both the Guardian and Independent.

One of its key recommendations, that the Climate Change Levy should be reformed, has now been adopted by the Conservative Party.

As part of the project, we hosted a ministerial stakeholder seminar on 20th July 2005, with ministers from five government departments speaking: Elliot Morley (DEFRA), John Healy (HMT), Malcolm Wicks (DTI), Derek Twigg (DfT) and Baroness Andrews (ODPM).

This work builds on the analysis of our earlier report: The Burning Question: Is the UK on course for a low carbon programme? by Catherine Mitchell and Bridget Woodman , published by ippr in autumn 2004, which provided a critique of the UK’s climate change programme.

Facing up to the threat by Tony Grayling in Whitehall and Westminster World, 22^nd November 2005
Reaping the whirlwind by Tony Grayling in Transport Times, 7^th October 2005
Call my bluff by Tony Grayling in New Statesman supplement, 15^th May 2006
Fortune favours the brave by Simon Retallack, Parliamentary Monitor, 29^th June 2006.

Publications

The Burning Question
Is the UK on course for a low-carbon economy?

A critical new examination of the government’s targets under the Climate Change Programme with specific policy proposals to increase energy efficiency and cut carbon emissions.

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