英國環境部長班恩（Hilary Benn）27日表示，英國在削減溫室氣體排放方面已有所進展，但仍有很多工作有待進行。
根據英國27日公布的初步統計數字顯示，英國2007年的溫室氣體排放總量比去年降了2個百分點，二氧化碳的排放從2006年的6億523萬公噸降到了6億394萬公噸。而其二氧化碳排放量的減少是因為發電燃料從煤炭換成天然氣，加上一般家庭和工業也都減少了化石燃料的消耗量。
班恩表示：「這些數據顯示出我們在削減溫室氣體排放量方面正獲得進展，而且正往超越京都議定書所設立的目標前進，但是如果我們要防止氣候變遷的危機，不管是在國內或國外將還有很多工作有待進行。」
英國「地球之友」協會對於本國達到二氧化碳減量表示欣慰，但也表示政府應採取更嚴格的氣候行動，以防止氣候變遷的危機。
英國在京都議定書之下所設定的溫室氣體排放減量的目標為在2012年底必須減少1990 年標準量的12.5%。
而歐盟整體對於減少溫室氣體排放量的目標為減少1990年標準量的8%。在1990年代，歐盟的15國之間曾經重新分配各國間的排放量減量目標，並利用在京都議定書中所謂「氣泡架構」(bubble，歐盟國家排放權分配協定），協議不同國家依其工業化程度而有不同的排放量減量目標；其中，英國必須承擔在1990年的基準上，減少12.5%的溫室氣體排放量。
然而，政府目前在尋求達成2020年京都議定書所設定的目標之外，更可望能達到減少更多的溫室氣體排放量，預計達到26%到32%的減量目標。
氣候變遷法案包括了一系列關於減少二氧化碳排放量的目標，其中英國預期在2050年達到排放量減少60%的目標以及要在2020年合法約束力的範圍內減少26%到32%的溫室氣體排放量。
對此，班恩也表示：「如果我們要達到氣候變遷法案當中所設定的，那些對於減少溫室氣體排放量的遠大目標，我們必須著眼於英國整體經濟的更大改變；現在，我們就必須透過國會立法，讓此目標得以慢慢實現。」
Environment Secretary Hilary Benn today said that the UK is making progress on cutting greenhouse gas emissions, but there is still much work to do.
Provisional statistics published today for total UK greenhouse gas emissions for 2007 showed a drop of two percent below the previous year, with 639.4 million metric tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent, down from 652.3 million metric tonnes in 2006.
The decrease in CO2 emissions resulted from fuel switching from coal to natural gas for electricity generation, combined with lower fossil fuel consumption by households and industry.
"These figures show we are making progress in cutting emissions and are on target to go beyond our Kyoto targets," said Benn. "But there's much to do at home and abroad if we are to going to avert dangerous climate change."
Friends of the Earth UK welcomed the drop in carbon dioxide emissions but said tougher government climate action is still required to avert dangerous climate warming.
The UK's Kyoto target is to lower greenhouse gas emissions 12.5 percent below 1990 levels by year end 2012.
The emissions target for the European Union as a whole is eight percent lower than 1990 levels. The 15 EU member states that were EU members in 1990 have redistributed their targets among themselves, taking advantage of a scheme under the Kyoto Protocol known as a "bubble," whereby countries have different individual targets. When combined, these make an overall target for that group of countries. The UK is responsible for lowering emissions 12.5 percent below 1990 levels.
Yet the government is looking past the end of the Kyoto Protocol to 2020, when a much deeper reduction of 26 to 32 percent in greenhouse gases is the goal.
The Climate Change Bill includes a series of targets for reducing carbon dioxide emissions - including making the UK's targets for a 60 percent reduction by 2050 and a 26 to 32 percent reduction by 2020 legally binding.
"We need to see a major change across the whole of the UK economy if we are to meet the ambitious emissions reduction targets set in the Climate Change Bill," now working its way through parliament, said Benn.
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