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The Aldersgate Group, an alliance of leaders from business, politics and society, welcome a new report by the Energy and Climate Change Committee on ‘Consumption-Based Emissions Reporting’.
Chris Tuppen, Director of the Aldersgate Group and a witness to the inquiry, said: "Just as companies are being encouraged to report their carbon emissions across their supply chain, so should Governments. This would help to influence the overall purchasing behaviours of organisations and inform policy decisions at all levels."
"We welcome the committee’s recommendation that the government should explore the ways in which it can incorporate consumption-based emissions data into its policy making process."
The Committee call the Government to be straightforward about the impact that UK consumption is having on the world’s climate.
The MPs warn that:
• UK’s record on cutting greenhouse gases is not as good as DECC figures suggest;
• Carbon dioxide emissions from imported goods consumed in the UK are going up faster than Government is cutting CO2 at home;
• Government figures on consumption-based emissions—from imported goods— show that carbon dioxide emissions in 2009 were 20% higher than in 1990.
Tim Yeo MP, Chairman of the Energy and Climate Change Committee, said: "Successive governments have claimed to be cutting climate-changing emissions, but in fact a lot of pollution has simply been outsourced overseas."
"The Department for Energy and Climate Change likes to argue that the UK is only responsible for 2% of the world’s CO2 emissions, but the Government’s own research shows this not to be the case."
"We get through more consumer goods than ever before in the UK and this is pushing up emissions in manufacturing countries like China."
The Aldersgate Group is an alliance of leaders from business, politics and society that drives action for a sustainable economy.
