The UK has been living under a delusion over its claim to be cutting greenhouse gases, according to two new reports, coming as just one more setback for Prime Minister Gordon Brown
The reports show that, instead of falling since the 1990s, UK greenhouse emissions have in fact been growing in line with the economy.
This is dependent on emissions from aviation, shipping and imported goods being counted as part of the equation. At present they are excluded under the internationally-agreed system for carbon accounts.
Both reports are from the respected Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) based at the University of York.
Stuart Bond of the WWF, commented: “The government has known about this for a very long time but has just refused to face up to it.”
An SEI report to be published shortly by the campaign group WWF will suggest that the UK's total greenhouse gas emissions are 49% higher than reported emissions.
And a recent little-publicised report for the government department Defra showed that rather than going down 5% as ministers claimed, CO2 emissions have gone up 18% between 1992 and 2004 when all emissions are counted.
