CBI Welcomes New EU Emissions Targets
Posted on: January 28th, 2008 by adminThe Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has welcomed new climate change targets and amendments to the European Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), announced yesterday by the EU.
The UK targets include cutting emissions from non-ETS sectors by 16% against 2005 levels and having 15% of all UK energy generated from renewable sources by 2020.
“Businesses support the bold lead that the EU is taking on climate change,” stated CBI director-general Richard Lambert. “A robust cap for emissions, while challenging, will help create the effective carbon market that firms need to plan and invest in new, greener, technologies.”
“However, we have to cut emissions, not shift them around the planet by undermining energy-intensive industries in Europe and discouraging future investment into the continent,” he went on to say.
Mr Lambert also said the CBI was pleased that the EU Commission has acknowledged the threat of this effect, described as “carbon leakage
He stated that the proposal to cut emissions should not focus on one sector, but shared across the whole economy. He believes that the UK needs more renewables, but the goal is “daunting and costly”, however, a proposal for an EU trading scheme is worth exploring but not a cure-all.
www.cbi.org.uk
