Report recommends CO2 targets be increased by 20 percent (Roundup)

By Rich Bowden, M&C Staff Writer Nov 5, 2007, 14:04 GMT

A leading group of environmental organisations has said the British government\'s carbon emission reduction target should be increased by 20 percent to 80 percent. EPA/DIEGO AZUBEL

(M&C) - A leading group of environmental organisations has said the British government's carbon emission reduction target of 60 percent by 2050 should be increased to 80 percent.

A report published jointly by the IPPR thinktank, WWF and RSPB, has said the current target of 60 percent was based on "outdated science" which does not include the UK's contribution to carbon emissions from international aviation.

The study maintains a figure of 80 percent is more realistic.

Though it found such a target would low economic growth by 2-3 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), the report found the economy would still triple in size by 2050.

 "In contrast, the Stern Review on climate change concluded that taking no action on the impacts of climate change could reduce global GDP by 5-20 per cent," the report claims.

Keith Allott, head of climate change at WWF-UK, said to reporters, "All the science shows us that to keep below the critical threshold of 2C global warming, countries like the UK need to cut emissions by at least 80 per cent by 2050."

"This report shows that it can be done and that it is affordable, provided we start now. The world is crying out for true leadership on climate change - and the government can provide it by setting more ambitious targets in the climate change bill."