Kyoto targets - Driving in the wrong direction

This country’s greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. We are supposed to be cutting emissions, but the figures for 2005 indicate that our emissions rose by 1.9%.

They now stand more than 25% above where they should be in line with the Kyoto targets.

The figures reflect the difficulty of reducing emissions in a growing economy, especially with transport figures rising by 6.9%, which was in line with a similar increase the previous year. The bulk of the increase was in the area of transportation, reflecting the rise in road freight transportation, as well as the rise in the number of private vehicles. Emissions in the transport sector have increased by 160% since 1990 and now constitute 19% of the total, which is behind energy emissions at 23%. Those rose by 34% over the same years.

Agriculture remains the worst offender in contributing almost 28% of the total, but the 2005 figure for agriculture actually dropped by 1.8%, indicating that at least it is going the right way.

To meet our Kyoto target it is necessary to purchase carbon credits from abroad. This is a sad reflection on our commitment to tackle the greenhouse problem. We are driving in the wrong direction.