UK homeowners have been urged to step up their efforts to reduce carbon emissions if they want to help the country reach tough new EU targets for combating climate change.

New guidelines outlined by the European Commission last week tasked the UK with reducing its greenhouse gas emissions 16 per cent by 2020.

While other European nations have thrived on such regulations - with Germany already having cut its footprint 18.5 per cent since 1990 - Britain has consistently lagged behind in terms of producing quantifiable reductions.

That is not for want of trying, however, according to Gearoid Lane, director of British Gas New Energy. He told Channel 4 news that commercial efforts are underway to boost energy efficiency in the home and he urged the general public to embrace greener lifestyles.

"This is the kind of thing customers want and we certainly see a future where customers won't just be buying energy from us, they will be buying a fully wrapped around energy service including insulation [and] including micro-generation like solar panels," he added.

Ministers have until now only committed to a distant target of reducing the UK's carbon emissions 60 per cent by 2050.


© Adfero Ltd

Author:  Joanne McCabe

Publish our Green issues articles on your own site!

All our Green issues articles are available for republishing, provided the links in the content remain intact. You can also use our RSS news feed to republish all of our Green issues articles.