Monday 26 November 2012

Davey wants more 2020 emissions pledges

As the UN’s climate change talks kick off in Doha this week, the UK Energy Secretary has declared he wants more countries to pledge to cut emissions by 2020. This was despite his Government leaving a 2030 emissions target out of the UK’s own upcoming Energy Bill, expected to be announced on Thursday.

Speaking ahead of the UNFCCC’s COP18 negotiations, which he will attend from next Monday, Ed Davey said: "A global effort is needed if we are to achieve our climate goals - we need to pave the way for the new global deal while delivering more action now.

"Many developed and developing countries have already come forward with pledges under the UN framework to reduce their emissions by 2020. I want to encourage more to do so at Doha and beyond. The EU has led the way in calling for more ambition and in enshrining emissions reductions in law. I want to encourage it to move to a more ambitious 2020 emissions reduction target of 30%.”

In Durban last year, many environmentalists were disappointed to see no major step forward for a global plan to counter climate change. But Mr Davey pointed out that for the first time all countries agreed to sign up to a legally-binding deal to be adopted by 2015. He said Doha was the place to agree a plan for these “crucial negotiations”.

Last Friday, the Government revealed it will delay setting a 2030 target for decarbonising the power sector until 2016, ignoring the pleas of many businesses who believe this takes away certainty of a return on green investment. On Friday, the Energy Secretary told ELN Chancellor George Osborne had not “won” the battle to curb renewables spending.