US needs to work harder to reduce emissions, report finds

The United States must work harder in order to reach its target of 17 per cent greenhouse gas emission reduction by 2020, a new report has found.

If the country continues the way it is, it has been reported that it will be no way near its targets, and therefore immediate action must be taken, according to the World Resources Institute, a think tank that focuses on global environmental issues

The goals were outlined in 2005, with a 15 year window in order to fulfil them.

However, these aims have recently come under the spotlight after President Barack Obama pledged in his inaugural address last month to respond to the "threat of climate change".

In order to fulfil this goal, it has been presumed that the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies will be given full responsibility in the absence of Congressional action.

To inject life into Congress, the World Resources Institute recently shared its findings with administration officials.

It has given the government recommendations on how best to reduce emissions, starting with power plants.

"The administration has multiple ways to move forward with smart policies to reduce U.S. emissions. The best opportunity is to enact new standards for existing power plants, which represent one-third of all U.S. emissions," said Nicholas Bianco, a senior associate at WRI and the report's lead author.

Other measures include reducing hydroflourocarbons (HFCs), used mainly in cooling and refrigeration systems, curbing methane leaks from natural gas production, and boosting energy efficiency, Reuters reports.

In addition, the amount of methane gas that has been released since the government's initial reduction date and now has increased dramatically.

Indeed, U.S. natural gas production has increased by more than 25 per cent between 2005 and 2011 due to fracking.

"There is a great deal of uncertainty with regard to emissions for natural gas systems. This means that the absolute magnitude of abatement opportunities is uncertain," the report said.