UK has reduced emissions

Efforts to reduce emissions in the UK have been successful so far as new figures reveal that the greenhouse gases emitted fell in 2009.

Statistics published by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) revealed that 402 of the 406 local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales managed to reduce emissions.

Across the UK as a whole, emissions fell by12.2 per cent between 2005 and 2009, with the industrial and commercial sector reporting reductions of 15.8 per cent in the same period.

It is thought that some of the reduction in gases produced is as a result of the economic downturn rather than specific efforts to be green and some commentators are concerned that as the economy recovers gas emissions will increase again.

This issue was addressed by a DECC spokeswoman in a interview with BusinessGreen.

"When the economy picks up again we want to make sure we don't see a sudden peak in emissions which is why we have policies in place to help reduce our reliance on fossil fuels," she told the source.