A better world is possible - Global Commons Institute

Copyright Bruce Nixon 2010. All rights reserved. This electronic copy is provided free for personal, non-commercial use only.
www.brucenixon.com
USA, with 5 per cent of the world population, emits 25 per cent of world greenhouse gases, with 30 per cent
of the world's automobiles contributes 45 per cent of the world's automotive emissions. Environmental
Defense, an advocacy group, says unless China, India, USA and UK take this seriously, the damage to the
world done will soon be trebled.
UK’s carbon footprint is not the official figure. UK has exported most of its manufacturing with all the
associated pollution problems, to poorer, developing countries less able to operate sustainably. Otherwise
our emissions would be twice as high. In his excellent book, Sustainable Energy – without the hot air, David
McKay calculates that UK’s carbon footprint is not 9.79 tonnes of CO2 per person but about 21 tonnes per
person. This is because we now make very little in UK. The official figure does not count all the “stuff” we
import, made in other countries for our happy consumers. But for those obliging countries, and if we didn’t
cheat, we’d have twice as big a problem!
What are the main sources of emissions?
The Six CO2 Equivalents governed by the Kyoto Protocol are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydro
fluorocarbons, per fluorocarbons, and sulphur hexafluoride.
The following figures give clear indications of the priorities for where cuts are need and provide a guide for
government policy, businesses and individual choices. However before getting into this subject we need we
need to address the concept of embedded oil and CO2.
Oil and CO2 and are embedded in just about everything we consume and do. For example, emissions
embedded in IT, Telecom and consumer electronic equipment imports to USA in 2006 were 3.5 times larger
than all emissions from electric power generation in California and are rapidly growing. Whilst UK emissions
fell by 5% from 1992 to 2004, emissions from consumed goods and services grew by 18%. Emissions
embedded in the Internet are the equivalent of 22 million cars.
The main sources of UK emissions, based on 2006 figures, were energy industries (38.9%), transport (24.2%),
other industries (17.7%) and residential (14.4%). Government accounts for 8% of CO2 emissions. These
figures and the chart below indicate where the priorities for action lie.
The Independent Committee on Climate Change says there is big potential to cut emissions in business and
the public sector, and save money through reduced energy bills. In many cases, required actions are simple,
and low cost. They include switching off computers and lights overnight. Overall savings of almost £900m
and 9 MtCO2 annually would be achievable if cost-effective measures were introduced:
Almost three-quarters of this through better management of energy (e.g. optimising heating start /
finish times and motion sensitive lights).
Much of the rest through investing in more efficient heating and cooling systems and the most
efficient lights and appliances (currently relatively expensive).
In addition there is scope for some 2 MtCO2 from renewable energy in buildings, likely to be at a
higher cost now but an important part of delivering carbon savings.
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