Just to give this some context (before we all get too smug about how well the UK is doing): CO2 emissions per capita:UK = 5.55USA = 15.52India = 1.91China = 7.38So before we make a broad brush approach about the UK v China and India, we need to look at population, and starting point.It is true that the UK is making good progress in reducing CO2 emmissions - for once, we can legimately claim to be World leading (if we exclude countries that have moved away from particularly dirty energy sectors and industry such as Romania and Ukraine).Hopefully, China can be persuaded away from a dirty energy (although some would argue that at least a contributing factor to the UK's reduction in emmissions and China's increase has been the transfer of production from the UK to China for goods that are still consumed in the UK).Change comes through leadership. Let us maintain at least this one sector where we really are "World leading" (a phrase I prefer to the more huberistic and aggresive Johnstonian "World beating"). We have much more to gain by working with other countries than by "beating" them (a mindset the lies at the heart of the problems created by this government).And I do not agree with those who say we are all doomed. The technologies already exist to de-carbonise our economies. The starting point should be reducing consumption (such as through insulaton, not eating meat and dairy products, and flying less etc.). Unfortunately, our economy is based on selling things, rather than not selling things, so the political will to reduce consumption is lacking.
T P Howell ● 1620d