UK succeeds with Kyoto treaty

(London, England) The United States was one of a few countries to not sign the Kyoto Protocol to lower greenhouse emissions. Most did sign on the landmark treaty, including Great Britain.
So how is such a country doing?
It appears the UK is in an even stronger position to exceed its Kyoto Protocol commitment, new figures show.
The final figures for all greenhouse gas emissions in the UK in 2006 show that total greenhouse gas emissions were down 0.5 per cent on 2005 levels.
Carbon dioxide (CO2), which makes up about 85 per cent of the UK's total greenhouse gas emissions, stayed virtually the same (a 0.1 per cent fall).
The economic impact of meeting the protocols is one factor that non-participating countries cited.
The U.K. economy grew another 2.9 per cent in 2006, meaning that it is breaking the historic link between economic growth and growth in emissions.
The biggest decrease in CO2 emissions was in the residential sector, with a fall of 4 per cent on 2005 levels, along with a decrease of 1.6 per cent in the business sector.
The UK's greenhouse gas emissions are now 16.4 per cent lower than 1990 levels. When the effect of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme included, the overall reduction is 20.7 per cent. On the web: www.defra.gov.uk

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RNS-01-31-08 0716CST