The British coalition government today agreed to a 50 per cent cut in emissions by 2025, and the plan has the backing of the nation's industry leaders.

The British coalition government today (18 May 2011) agreed to a 50 per cent cut in emissions by 2025, and the plan has the backing of the nation's industry leaders.

Notably the unqualified target originally proposed by the 2008 Garnaut Climate Change Review said Australia should look to reduce emission by 25% on 2000 levels by 2020, and 90% by 2050.

However, commitments by both sides of politics in Australia have chosen to commit Australia to only a 5% cut by 2020, with a promise to review the targets if global agreement is reached.

In contrast, Britain has taken a leadership approach where it will work to 50% reductions. While Britain has said it would review commitments in 2014 if other members of the European Union had not adopted stricter targets by that time, Chris Huhne, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, has indicated Britain would propose additional measures in coming months to help energy-intensive industries to remain competitive.

The UK has been participating in emissions trading for nearly a decade and Britain was the first country to enshrine in law commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

The Sustainable Energy Association of Australia (SEA) is keen to see how Australia might try to outperform England in reducing our carbon emissions to ashes.

‘SEA is an industry chamber supporting market-based solutions to grow sustainable energy and has consistently called for action on climate change, sustainable energy, and reducing Australia's emissions for eight years,' says Prof. Ray Wills, SEA Chief Executive.

‘Any business group interested in an economically efficient means of dealing with emissions supports market-based approaches, and an emissions trading system is that and more,' says Prof Wills.

‘Emissions trading systems have been used around the world to effectively broker changes in industry practice, and demonstrated to be both more economically efficient and also environmentally effective than other means.'

‘A key is that market design must be based on open and transparent transactions to ensure both monitoring and compliance costs are minimised.'

‘While direct incentives for change to both the domestic and commercial markets to reduce emissions via both energy efficiency and procurement of lower emissions energy are important measures that should be included in any design to maximise change, a trading system is a key component to broker a more sustainable economy,' says Prof Wills.


Poms hit Aussie greenhouse target for six in global carbon Ashes.
SEA Media Release - 18 May 2011

Editors notes:

1. Britain Sets Strict Targets for Greenhouse Gas Emissions http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/18/business/global/18carbon.html

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-18/u-k-to-cut-co2-emissions-in-half-by-mid-2020s-most-in-industrial-world.html

2. Crocodile Combet in Cancun - that's not a target, this is a target. SEA media release http://www.seaaus.com.au/files/media/2010/101212_mr_crocodilecombet.doc

3. The Sustainable Energy Association of Australia (SEA) - the business chamber for the sustainable energy industry - is focused on removing the barriers to and promoting opportunities for the commercialization of sustainable outcomes for energy in Australia. www.seaaus.com.au.