UK emissions fall - Greenpeace response

Commenting on provisional figures suggesting UK greenhouse emissions have fallen by 2 per cent, Greenpeace head of climate and energy Robin Oakley said:

"The only reason our emissions have dropped is because we're using more gas and less coal to generate power. So it beggars belief that the government is even thinking of consenting a new fleet of coal-fired power station just as we need to be slashing our emissions further. With a big decision approaching on the proposed plant at Kingsnorth in Kent we'll soon know just how committed ministers really are to fighting climate change."

He continued: "Overall emissions in the UK have actually risen under Labour. Until last year they had been rising steadily because of increased coal burning. It's been so bad that government has had to abandon its own 2010 target for CO2 cuts because it knows it has failed to do enough to meet it."