30th January, 2009
The Climate Change Act 2008 commits the UK to making cuts in our greenhouse gas emisisons of 80% compared with 1990 levels by 2050 and of 26% by 2020. While emissions from international aviation and shipping will not be directly included in the first set of carbon budgets, by 2050 the UK’s share of international aviation emissions will be counted as part of the total. Projected emissions from international aviation and shipping must therefore be taken into account right from the start when budgets are allocated to other sectors.
Discussions have now begun about how the targets agreed in the Climate Act fit in with other commitments – both at European and international levels – and how to deal appropriately with the different accounting methods associated with these policy tools. The Department of Energy and Climate Change consultated various stakeholders, including AEF, on this subject. Our response can be downloaded from the link below.
AEF response to DECC Consultation on carbon units, the net UK carbon account and carbon accounting