Climate Committee Wants New Measures to Cut Emissions by 80 Percent

Apparently Britain will miss its legal target to cut emissions by 80 percent by the middle of the century unless action is taken to cut greenhouse pollution from gas powered-stations. This was the warning that was given by government advisers earlier this week.

In a letter to the climate secretary, Chris Huhne, the climate change committee, said that the government’s existing pledge to fit new coal power stations with expensive carbon capture and storage equipment should be extended. They want this rule to include new gas generators as well. Such a move could allow the UK to be the first in the world to build such a plant and capitalize on a new dash for gas.

In order to avoid missing carbon targets, the climate change committee said that the government should change its promise to fund up to four trials of carbon capture and storage equipment on coal stations. It should do at least one of the demonstrations with gas power.

Adair Turner, the committee chairman, said that, in order to provide long term incentives to the industry to develop such technology, the government should extend a promised emissions performance standard, or a EPS, for coal power to the gas sector. Such a standard would need to be zero greenhouse gas emissions from 2020. This would regulate what power stations can emit and could be seen in energy bills later this year.

According to reports, although coal is more polluting than gas per unit of energy generated, the recent fall in gas prices has helped to stimulate a second dash for gas. Thus, it is up to the government to get this under control in order to reach its emission goals.