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Fall in UK greenhouse gas emissions
25 March 2010
Commenting on the Government's provisional estimates for 2009 greenhouse gas emissions, which shows a substantial fall in emissions, Friends of the Earth's Executive Director Andy Atkins said:
"These figures suggest that UK emissions have fallen more in one year than in all the other years of the Labour Government put together - but it's taken a major recession to make this happen.
"However, we can't afford to let emissions soar as the economy grows.
"The UK must strengthen its targets now for tackling climate change by pledging to cut its emissions by at least 42 per cent by 2020, based on 1990 levels, and to achieve it without offsetting.
"The next Government must make the development of a low-carbon economy a major priority by developing the UK's vast renewable energy potential and investing in measures to slash energy waste - creating thousands of new jobs and increasing our energy security."
ENDS
Notes to editor:
1. These figures do not include emissions from the UK's share of international shipping and aviation, or the substantial emissions from products manufactured abroad but imported into the UK.
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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust
Last modified: Mar 2010
