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A drop in the UK's overall carbon emissions between 2006 and 2007 is likely to have less to do with government policy than with the rising price of coal, critics have claimed.
Although carbon emissions in the UK dropped two per cent from 554.5 million tonnes in 2006 to 543.7 million tonnes last year, this decline has been attributed to less electricity supplied by coal and more supplied by other sources, such as gas, the Guardian has reported.
Environment secretary Hilary Benn claimed that the figures indicate that progress has been made in cutting carbon emissions in the UK, but energy analysts have suggested the figures may have less to do with policy than with prices.
"Coal became more expensive than gas so [electricity producers] switched some of their production to gas," said Robin Smale of Vivid Economics.
Environment News Service reported today that Friends of the Earth's Robin Webster echoed this statement, adding that the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions is "good news" but likely "down to good luck rather than good judgement".
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