Government gets it wrong on UK’s real emissions levels

You will often find climate campaigners at loggerheads with the government's claim of reducing emissions, and for good reason. Two reports from the Stockholm Environment Institute based at the University of York show that the government hasn't taken into account emissions from aviation, shipping and importing goods from overseas. If these three are included to calculate our emissions levels which they should be, then our carbon emissions are increasing as opposed to the government's claim that they are decreasing.

Aviation is one of the major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. Expanding Heathrow by building the third runway and a sixth terminal surely aren't going to cut emissions so why is the government so keen on building them? Global trade has also made it easy for the government to mask the true levels of Britain's emissions. By outsourcing production to countries like China the government is also outsourcing part of its carbon footprint while at the same time criticising China for its emissions levels.

I think its time for the government to own up to the real emissions levels which are on the rise. By using deceptive methods in calculating emissions, the government is denying the urgency of climate change and thus dodging the concrete steps required to tackle it. Climate change can still be prevented and we have 100 months left in our hands. I hope the government doesn't take 99 months to act upon what it really should be doing now.