The Tyndall Centre's report

The Tyndall Centre's report, "Decarbonising the UK", sets out a series of energy scenarios which map out a variety of different ways in which we might achieve the UK goals of a 60% CO₂ reduction by 2050. The scenarios set out a varying mix of demand reduction and alternative/cleaner fuel supply options.

Several striking points emerge from the report. The first is that that the 'demand reduction' route is likely to be more easily achieved than those scenarios which assume a very high rate of energy demand and which achieve the requisite target reductions through the use of alternative fuels, carbon sequestration and (sometimes) nuclear power.

The second and - to the authors of the report - very considerable area of concern is the fact that international aviation and marine shipping sectors are currently not included in the UK GHG inventories and as such are not included in considerations as to how we might achieve the 60% cut – nor are these sectors included in many other generated scenarios. The report authors note that it is imperative to include aviation and shipping emissions in emissions quantifications and in plans to reduce these emissions. They also emphasise that if growth in aviation and shipping is allowed to continue unchecked, emissions from other sectors (including food, domestic energy use and surface transport) will have to be reduced by between 100% if order to achieve the 60% cuts.

At the risk of stating the obvious, the importance of these two sectors has clear relevance to the food / ghg issue for two reasons:

• first because of the contribution that food transport makes to shipping and (increasingly) aviation emissions and
• second, because if these two sectors are allowed to grow unchecked then the UK food manufacturing and retailing sectors may face stronger pressure to make deeper cuts in their emissions.

Supporting documents can also be found at the Tyndall Centre website.