Britain should commit to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by at least 34 per cent by 2020, through greater energy efficiency, switching from fossil fuels to renewable sources like wind and using more nuclear power, Britain's chief climate change adviser said yesterday.
The Committee on Climate Change, which advises the British government on how it can meet its goals to cut planet-warming emissions, said the target should rise to 42 per cent, compared to 1990 levels, if a global deal on reducing emissions was reached.
Setting emissions targets in its first report, Committee Chairman Adair Turner said there was a strong economic case for nuclear power and new coal-fired power stations should only be built on the understanding that they would be retro-fitted with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology by the early 2020s.
"It is not too late to tackle climate change, but it will be unless the world takes action soon," Mr Turner said in a statement.
"Developed countries need to lead the way with strong commitments."
The committee said CCS was necessary to improve the carbon efficiency of fossil fuel electricity generation. It recognised that adding CCS technology to coal-fired power plants would add cost, but said this was "modest", in the range of two to three pence per kilowatt hour. It said owners of coal plants without CCS could have their operating hours capped.
The body also said the UK was "well-placed for CCS deployment" due to its large and now depleted offshore oil and gas fields. It estimates that CCS could bring the carbon efficiency of hard coal to around 700 grams per kilowatt hour and gas to 350 grams per kilowatt hour.
The committee said nuclear power will play a significant role in decarbonisation, but would not be a solution to the climate change problem by itself.
On wind power, the committee said wind farms had significant potential to cut emissions and could supply 20 per cent of Britain's current electricity demand by 2020.
Aviation and shipping should not be included in the targets for now because of difficulties in allocating emissions between nations, the committee said.
The emissions reductions will cost Britain less than one per cent of its gross domestic product in 2020 and between one and two per cent of GDP by 2050, added Mr Turner.