United Kingdom Climate Change Programme

United Kingdom's climate change programme

This article's factual accuracy may be compromised due to out-of-date information. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (March 2012)

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The United Kingdom's Climate Change Programme was launched in November 2000 by the British government in response to its commitment agreed at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). The 2000 programme[1] was updated in March 2006 following a review[2] launched in September 2004.

In 2008, the UK was the world's 9th greatest producer of man-made carbon emissions, producing around 1.8% of the global total generated from fossil fuels.

## Aim and progress

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Global mean surface temperatures 1856 to 2007

See also: Energy use and conservation in the United Kingdom

The aims of the programme are not only to cut all greenhouse gas emissions by the agreed 12.5% from 1990 levels in the period 2008 to 2012 (the international Kyoto commitment), but to go beyond this by cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 20% from 1990 levels by 2010.

When the original programme was published in 2000, it confirmed that UK emissions were already forecast to be around 15% lower by 2010.

As of March 2006, government projections were in line with the official energy policy of the United Kingdom) so that, by 2010, the UK will have reduced its carbon dioxide emissions by about 15-18% below 1990 levels, thus missing the government's internal target but achieving its Kyoto Protocol target, with a projected reduction of emissions from the basket of all greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide) of about 23-25% from 1990 levels.[3]

## 2000 Climate Change Programme

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The stated strategies of the 2000 programme were to:

* Improve business’ use of energy, stimulate investment and cut costs;
* Stimulate new, more efficient sources of power generation;
* Cut emissions from the transport sector;
* Promote better energy efficiency in the domestic sector, saving householders money;
* Improve the energy efficiency requirements of the building regulations;
* Continue cutting emissions from agriculture;
* Ensure the public sector took a leading role.

## Government actions

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The following are among the actions taken to implement the strategy:

### Climate Change Act

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Main article: Climate Change Act 2008

On 26 November 2008, after cross-party pressure over several years, led by environmental groups, the Climate Change Act became law. The Act puts in place a framework to achieve a mandatory 80% cut in the UK's carbon emissions by 2050 (compared to 1990 levels), with an intermediate target of between 34% by 2020 which would have risen in the event of a strong deal at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.

### Renewables Obligation

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Introduced on 1 April 2002, the Renewables Obligation requires all electricity suppliers who supply electricity to end consumers to supply a set portion of their electricity from eligible renewables sources; a proportion that will increase each year until 2015 from a 3% requirement in 2002–2003, via 10.4% in 2010-2012 up to 15.4% by 2015–2016. The UK Government announced in the 2006 Energy Review an additional target of 20% by 2020–21. For each eligible megawatt hour of renewable energy generated, a tradable certificate called a renewables obligation certificate (ROC) is issued by OFGEM.

On or before 31 September[clarification needed] following the RO year (1 Apr - 31 Mar) suppliers can meet their Renewables Obligation by:

* acquiring and redeeming ROCs,
* paying a buy-out price equivalent to £33.24/megawatt hour in 2006/07 and rising each year with retail price index, or
* a combination of redeeming ROCs and paying the buy-out price.

When a supplier meets all or part of its obligation by paying the buy-out price for each MWh of its obligation not discharged by the redemption of ROCs, the money is put into a holding account called the buy-out fund. The buy-out fund is recycled before 1 November to those electricity suppliers who presented ROCs against their Renewables Obligation. This 'recycling' is distributed equally for each ROC redeemed, those suppliers who did not redeem any ROCs will receive no 'recycling' from the buy-out fund.

The renewables obligation also makes requirements about how the electricity can be generated. An example is that the co-firing of biomass with coal is to be phased out - and will not be eligible for Renewable Obligation Certificates after 2016 (although the government has announced its intention to revisit the co-firing rules as part of the 2006 Energy Review).

The renewables transport fuel obligation is a separate law, which although is not in force yet, is set to become law. It would require bio-ethanol and bio-diesel to be added to road fuel, up to a limit of 2 or 5.75%. The land required for this would be considerable. It has been estimated (by the NFU) that the biomass could be grown by using all of the UK's net wheat exports, and growing wheat on 1,200 square kilometres of land.

### Housing and community grants

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Grants to assist with the installation of renewable energy sources in domestic properties and for community groups were made available through the Clear Skies organisation, and the Major Photovoltaics Demonstration programme. In 2006 these were replaced by the Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP).

### CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme

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The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme is a mandatory cap and trade scheme, announced in May 2007, that will apply to large non energy-intensive organisations in the public and private sectors, including hotel chains, supermarkets, banks, central government and large Local Authorities. It is anticipated that the scheme will have cut carbon emissions by 1.2 million tonnes of carbon per year by 2020.[4]

The CRC scheme will apply to organisations that have a mandatory half-hourly metered electricity consumption greater than 6,000 MWh per year. This roughly equates to an electricity bill above £500,000 (US$1,000,000), although it would apply to emissions from direct energy use as well as electricity purchased.[5]

### The Green Deal

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The Green Deal is a policy to encourage energy efficiency improvements in the UK's building stock. It will be financed through loans attached to the energy bills of the improved properties - The green deal was dropped by government in 2015.

### Electricity Market Reform

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Electricity Market Reform is a UK programme seeking to decarbonise electricity generation in the UK by providing low carbon generators guaranteed income through a contract for difference arrangement.

It is made up of 2 mechanisms: Contracts for Difference (CfD) and the Capacity Market (CM).

## Nottingham Declaration

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Although not part of the central government programme, in local government, over 300 councils have signed up to the Nottingham Declaration, launched on 25 October 2000, committing them to work towards reducing emissions.[6]

## See also

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* Global warming portal

* Climate change in the United Kingdom
* Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006
* Action on climate change
* List of climate change initiatives
* List of countries by carbon dioxide emissions
* Making Sweden an Oil-Free Society

## References

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1. ^ "Defra, UK - Environmental Protection - Climate Change - Action in the UK - UK Climate Change Programme". Archived from the original on 24 May 2006. Retrieved 3 June 2006.
2. ^ "Defra, UK - Environmental Protection - Climate Change - Action in the UK - UK Climate Change Programme". Archived from the original on 19 October 2006. Retrieved 3 June 2006.
3. ^ "Defra, UK - Environmental Protection - Climate Change - Action in the UK - UK Climate Change Programme". Archived from the original on 15 April 2006. Retrieved 27 April 2006.
4. ^ Action in the UK - Carbon Reduction Commitment Archived June 26, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, DEFRA, published 2007-05-23, accessed 2007-05-23
5. ^ 2007 Energy White Paper: Meeting the Energy Challenge Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Department of Trade and Industry, published 2007-05-23, accessed 2007-05-25
6. ^ "The Nottingham Declaration on Climate Change - Climate Change". Southend-on-Sea Borough Council. 2 January 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2016.

## Further reading

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* Smith, S. (11 June 2008). "Environmentally Related Taxes and Tradable Permit Systems in Practice" (PDF). OECD, Environment Directorate, Centre for Tax Policy and Administration. Retrieved 26 August 2009.

## External links

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* Climate Change Programme 2006
* Government Climate Change Project Office
* Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership
* Energy Saving Trust
* Carbon Trust
* Text of the Nottingham Declaration (.doc)
* British Council and openDemocracy debate on the politics of climate change
* http://www.saveenergy.co.uk/
* Climate Change Chronicles Includes frequent stories and press releases related to the UK's Climate Change policy
* George Monbiot, The Guardian, 30 June 2005, "Then ... and now: On November 8 1989, Margaret Thatcher shocked the UN with a speech on global warming."
* July 2005, Energy saving targets scrapped for housing
* June 2005, "London's political and business leaders come * [http://campaigncc.org Campaign against Climate Change Pressure group seeking to bring about a concerted response to climate change from government and public.
* Friends of the Earth The environmentalist group's view of the programme's shortcomings.
* DTI specific section specific government (DTI) details
* Webtool and online global collaboration resource to accelerate 'cleantech' and inform about a Low Carbon Economy

* v
* t
* e

Climate change

Overview

* Causes of climate change
* Effects of climate change
* Climate change mitigation
* Climate change adaptation
* By country and region

Causes

| Overview|

* Climate system
* Greenhouse effect (Carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere)
* Scientific consensus on climate change

|

Sources|

* Deforestation
* Fossil fuel
* Greenhouse gases
* Greenhouse gas emissions
* Carbon accounting
* Carbon footprint
* Carbon leakage
* from agriculture
* from wetlands
* World energy supply and consumption

History

* History of climate change policy and politics
* History of climate change science
* Svante Arrhenius
* James Hansen
* Charles David Keeling
* United Nations Climate Change conferences
* Years in climate change
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024

Effects and issues

| Physical|

* Abrupt climate change
* Anoxic event
* Arctic methane emissions
* Arctic sea ice decline
* Atlantic meridional overturning circulation
* Drought
* Extreme weather
* Flood
* Coastal flooding
* Heat wave
* Marine
* Urban heat island
* Oceans
* acidification
* deoxygenation
* heat content
* sea surface temperature
* stratification
* temperature
* Ozone depletion
* Permafrost thaw
* Retreat of glaciers since 1850
* Sea level rise
* Season creep
* Climate sensitivity
* Tipping points in the climate system
* Tropical cyclones
* Water cycle
* Wildfires

|

Flora and fauna|

* Biomes
* Mass mortality event
* Birds
* Extinction risk
* Forest dieback
* Invasive species
* Marine life
* Plant biodiversity

Social and economic|

* Agriculture
* Livestock
* Multi-breadbasket failure
* In the United States
* Children
* Cities
* Civilizational collapse
* Crime
* Depopulation of settlements
* Destruction of cultural heritage
* Disability
* Economic impacts
* U.S. insurance industry
* Fisheries
* Gender
* Health
* Mental health
* In the United Kingdom
* In the Philippines
* Human rights
* Indigenous peoples
* Infectious diseases
* Migration
* Poverty
* Psychological impacts
* Security and conflict
* Urban flooding
* Water scarcity
* Water security

By country and region|

* Africa
* Americas
* Antarctica
* Arctic
* Asia
* Australia
* Caribbean
* Europe
* Middle East and North Africa
* Small island countries
* by individual country

Mitigation

| Economics and finance|

* Carbon budget
* Carbon emission trading
* Carbon offsets and credits
* Gold Standard (carbon offset standard)
* Carbon price
* Carbon tax
* Climate debt
* Climate finance
* Climate risk insurance
* Co-benefits of climate change mitigation
* Economics of climate change mitigation
* Fossil fuel divestment
* Green Climate Fund
* Low-carbon economy
* Net zero emissions

|

Energy|

* Carbon capture and storage
* Energy transition
* Fossil fuel phase-out
* Nuclear power
* Renewable energy
* Sustainable energy

Preserving and enhancing
carbon sinks|

* Blue carbon
* Carbon dioxide removal
* Carbon sequestration
* Direct air capture
* Carbon farming
* Climate-smart agriculture
* Forest management
* afforestation
* forestry for carbon sequestration
* REDD and REDD+
* reforestation
* Land use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF and AFOLU)
* Nature-based solutions

Other|

* Individual action on climate change
* Geoengineering

Society and adaptation

| Society|

* Business action
* Climate action
* Climate emergency declaration
* Climate movement
* School Strike for Climate
* Denial
* Ecological grief
* Governance
* Justice
* Litigation
* Politics
* Public opinion
* Women

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Adaptation|

* Adaptation strategies on the German coast
* Adaptive capacity
* Disaster risk reduction
* Ecosystem-based adaptation
* Flood control
* Loss and damage
* Managed retreat
* Nature-based solutions
* Resilience
* Risk
* Vulnerability
* The Adaptation Fund
* National Adaptation Programme of Action

Communication|

* Climate Change Performance Index
* Climate crisis (term)
* Climate spiral
* Education
* Media coverage
* Popular culture depictions
* art
* fiction
* video games
* Warming stripes

International agreements|

* Glasgow Climate Pact
* Kyoto Protocol
* Paris Agreement
* Cooperative Mechanisms under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement
* Nationally determined contributions
* Sustainable Development Goal 13
* United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Background and theory

| Measurements|

* Global surface temperature
* Instrumental temperature record
* Proxy
* Satellite temperature measurement

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Theory|

* Albedo
* Carbon cycle
* atmospheric
* biologic
* oceanic
* permafrost
* Carbon sink
* Climate sensitivity
* Climate variability and change
* Cloud feedback
* Cloud forcing
* Fixed anvil temperature hypothesis
* Cryosphere
* Earth's energy budget
* Extreme event attribution
* Feedbacks
* Global warming potential
* Illustrative model of greenhouse effect on climate change
* Orbital forcing
* Radiative forcing

Research and modelling|

* Climate change scenario
* Climate model
* Coupled Model Intercomparison Project
* Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
* IPCC Sixth Assessment Report
* Paleoclimatology
* Representative Concentration Pathway
* Shared Socioeconomic Pathways

* Climate change portal
* Category
* Glossary
* Index

* v
* t
* e

Energy in the United Kingdom

Companies

| Coal|

* Anglo American
* BHP
* ENRC
* GCM Resources
* Glencore
* Rio Tinto
* UK Coal

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Oil and
gas|

| Integrated|

* BP
* Shell

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Exploration
and production|

* Afren
* BHP
* Capricorn Energy
* Centrica
* Dana Petroleum
* Desire Petroleum
* Emerald Energy
* EnQuest
* Essar Energy
* Harbour Energy
* Hardy Oil and Gas
* JKX Oil & Gas
* Melrose Resources
* Ophir Energy
* Perenco
* Pharos Energy
* Regal Petroleum
* Rockhopper Exploration
* Star Energy
* Tullow Oil

Supply|

* Greenergy
* Murco Petroleum

Support|

* Abbot Group
* Amec Foster Wheeler
* Expro
* Hunting
* John Wood Group
* Petrofac
* Qserv
* Weir Group
* WesternGeco1

Utilities|

| Integrated|

* Centrica
* E.ON UK1
* EDF Energy1
* Npower1
* ScottishPower1
* SSE

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Generation
and supply|

| Generation|

* Drax Group
* Engie Energy International
* Horizon Nuclear Power1
* Renantis
* Vattenfall UK1
* Vedanta Resources

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Supply|

* 100Green
* Bristol Energy
* Co-op Energy
* Ecotricity
* ESB Group
* Firmus Energy
* Good Energy
* Octopus Energy
* Opus Energy
* Outfox the Market
* OVO Energy
* Phoenix Natural Gas
* Shell Energy
* TotalEnergies Gas & Power
* Utilita Energy
* Utility Warehouse

Distribution|

| Electricity|

* Electricity North West1
* Northern Powergrid1
* SP Energy Networks1
* SSE Power Distribution
* UK Power Networks1
* Western Power Distribution1

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Gas|

* Cadent Gas
* Firmus Energy
* Northern Gas Networks
* Phoenix Natural Gas
* SGN
* Wales & West Utilities1

Transmission|

| Electricity|

* National Grid2
* Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission
* SP Energy Networks1

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Gas|

* National Grid

Other|

* Aggreko
* APX Group
* Aquamarine Power
* EnServe
* Hi-Gen Power
* Mark Group
* United Downs Deep Geothermal Power
* Wavegen

Companies with headquarters and/or registered office in the UK but no applicable energy operations within the country shown in italics 1Ultimate parent company is not UK-based 2Integrated in the United States, no generation or supply activities in the UK

Energy sources

| Coal|

* Coal Authority
* Coal-fired power stations
* Coal mines
* Coal mining regions
* Confederation of UK Coal Producers
* Greenhouse gas emissions
* History
* miners' strike
* National Coal Board
* Open-pit coal mining

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Electricity|

* Association of Electricity Producers
* BritNed
* East–West Interconnector
* Economy 7
* Economy 10
* Electricity billing
* Energy switching services
* Green electricity
* Grid Trade Master Agreement
* Gridlink Interconnector
* HVDC Cross-Channel
* Isle of Man to England Interconnector
* Moyle Interconnector
* National Grid
* Control
* Reserve Service
* New Electricity Trading Arrangements
* North Sea Link
* Power stations
* Timeline of the electricity supply industry

Nuclear|

* Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor
* Franco-British Nuclear Forum
* Magnox
* Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
* Nuclear Liabilities Fund
* Nuclear power stations
* Office for Nuclear Regulation
* Sellafield
* United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
* United Kingdom National Nuclear Laboratory

Oil and gas|

* BBL Pipeline
* Dash for Gas
* Forties pipeline system
* Fuel protests
* Gas infrastructure
* Greenhouse gas emissions
* Hydrocarbon Oil Duty
* National Transmission System
* Natural gas fields
* Natural gas-fired power stations
* North Sea oil
* North Sea Transition Authority
* Offshore Energies UK
* Oil fields
* Oil-fired power stations
* Oil infrastructure
* Oil refineries
* Petroleum Revenue Tax

Renewables|

| Biofuels|

* Biofuel power stations
* NNFCC
* Renewable Fuels Agency
* Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation

|

Geothermal|

* Geothermal power stations

Hydroelectricity|

* Hydroelectric power stations
* Mersey Barrage
* Severn Barrage
* Wave farms

Solar power|

Wind power|

* Offshore wind power
* List of offshore wind farms
* List of onshore wind farms
* North Seas Energy Cooperation
* Wind power in Scotland

Government and regulation

| Organisations|

* Carbon Trust
* Cenex
* Climate Change Committee
* Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
* Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
* Energy Saving Trust
* Environment Agency
* Office of Gas and Electricity Markets
* National Energy System Operator
* System Operator for Northern Ireland
* Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks
* Great British Energy
* Great British Energy – Nuclear

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Legislation and initiatives|

* Carbon Emission Reduction Target
* Climate Change Act 2008
* Climate Change Agreement
* Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006
* Climate Change Levy
* CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme
* Decarbonisation measures in proposed UK electricity market reform
* Display Energy Certificate
* Energy Act 2013
* Energy performance certificate
* Fossil Fuel Levy
* Low Carbon Building Programme
* Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation
* Planning Act 2008
* Renewable Heat Incentive
* Renewables Obligation
* United Kingdom Climate Change Programme
* Energy price cap
* Energy Profits Levy

Non-governmental organisations

| Charities and
pressure groups|

* Ashden Award
* Bioregional
* Campaign against Climate Change
* Centre for Alternative Technology
* National Energy Action
* Stop Climate Chaos
* Tyndall Centre

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Industry bodies|

* Association for Decentralised Energy
* Energy Institute
* Energy Networks Association
* Energy Retail Association
* Green Power Forum
* RenewableUK
* Utilities Intermediaries Association

Research|

* Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology
* Energy Technologies Institute
* Met Office Hadley Centre
* Narec
* Oil Depletion Analysis Centre
* Sunbury Research Centre
* UK Energy Research Centre

Energy conservation

* British Energy Efficiency Federation
* Close the Door campaign
* Code for Sustainable Homes
* Double Glazing & Conservatory Ombudsman Scheme
* EcoHomes
* Energy efficiency in British housing
* Energy Saving Trust
* Energy Saving Trust Recommended
* Greenhouse gas emissions
* HTB
* National Home Energy Rating

* Category

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