UK will meet the 2022 carbon budget

New government projections released on 9 June forecast the UK will just scrape through its legally binding carbon budgets to 2022, based on policies set in place by the previous Labour administration.

The energy and climate department (DECC) figures predict that major UK emitters, mainly power stations, covered by the EU’s emissions trading scheme (EU ETS) will shortly shift from being net importers of carbon allowances (ENDS Report 415, p 12) into net exporters for the first budget period 2008-12.¹ But imports will thereafter rise to 11 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent a year.