Local authorities report emissions on the rise

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) released estimates of regional carbon emissions for 2010 on Thursday 23 August. Carbon emissions have increased in 394 out of 406 Local Authorities (LA) since 2009, according to new DECC statistics. The department's estimates of regional emissions for 2010 showed there had been emissions reduction in only 12 authorities. This trend reversed results seen between 2008 and 2009, when emissions increased in only four LAs. Overall, 43% of end-user emissions assigned to LAs were attributed to the industrial and commercial sector, 31% to the domestic sector, and 26% to road transport.
On Wednesday 22 August Defra chief scientist Robert Watson urged chancellor George Osborne to work with the public sector to show the UK can make "significant progress" on reducing carbon emissions. He told the BBC the idea of restricting the average temperature rise to 2°C was now "out of the window", and there was a "50-50" chance of a 3°C rise. Watson added that reducing emissions significantly would not require a "revolution" in energy technology--it was more a question of "political will".
DECC     BBC