Energy in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
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Electricity production by source. Source: the
EIA.
Energy in the United Kingdom have
been receiving increased attention over re-
cent years. Key factors behind this are the
UK Government’s commitment to reducing
carbon emissions, the projected ’energy gap’
in electricity generation, and the increasing
reliance on imports to meet national energy
needs.
Carbon dioxide
emissions
Under the Kyoto protocol the UK Govern-
ment committed to reducing the levels of car-
bon dioxide (CO2) and five other greenhouse
gases by 12.5% below 1990 levels by 2008 to
2012.
Based on a recommendation by the Royal
Commission on Environmental Pollution, the
Government has also committed to cutting
CO2 emissions by 20% by 2010, 60% by
2050, and 80% by 2100, compared to 1990
levels. These reductions were thought in
Global mean surface temperatures 1856 to
2007
Projected temperature increase for a range
of greenhouse gas stabilization scenarios (the
coloured bands). The black line indicates
’best estimates’; the red and the blue lines
the likely limits. From the work of IPCC AR4,
2007.
2000 to be those required to stabilise atmo-
spheric carbon dioxide at 550 ppm (com-
pared to current levels of 380ppm), although
latest scientific opinion is that stabilisation at
this level is likely to be insufficient to avoid
dangerous
climate
change.[1] Research
shows that the world is heading for much
higher than the 650 ppm level.[2]
The achievement of the first of these tar-
gets should have been made considerably
easier due to an inadvertent reduction in CO2
emissions caused by the (cost driven) dis-
placement of coal by natural gas in electricity
generation. Compared to coal, gas produces
around 30% less CO2 when burnt, since nat-
ural gas contains a larger percentage of hy-
drogen than coal does. Filling the electri