GUERNSEY is still failing to meet greenhouse gas emission targets.
Latest figures show a minimal year-on-year reduction, but not enough to indicate that the island will meet its Kyoto Agreement target of a 12.5% reduction on 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012 – unless things change.
One of the biggest contributory factors to emissions is the amount of electricity produced in the island using oil rather than being imported through the cable link because of the cost.
The latest figures cover 2007, just one year before they start counting towards Kyoto.
In June 2008 the States agreed as part of its energy policy to review whether Guernsey Electricity should be allowed to consider emissions and not just cost when choosing which source to use – but there is still no decision on that yet.
Guernsey Electricity managing director Ian Watson said this would be a practical and sensible approach to reducing carbon emissions.
‘There is capacity to import a lot more of the island’s power, but currently we can only do that based on cost and not on environmental benefit. If that changes, we will be able to make better use of the cable link as a means of targeting lower emissions,’ he said.
Carbon emissions from power generation have fallen sharply since the cable link to France was installed, and are now around half the 1990 levels.
As recently as 2004, nearly 85% of the island’s supply was from low-carbon imports, predominantly from nuclear and renewable sources. Since then, on-island generation has more than doubled, resulting in a corresponding increase in emissions
Guernsey Electricity is also exploring the feasibility of developing tidal power generation as a local source of renewable energy.
‘The technology is still in the early stages, but we believe that is going to be an option within a few years. If we can harness tidal power, we will be able to generate clean, renewable electricity from the waters around us, and that’s very exciting,’ he said.
‘In the short term though, increasing our use of imported power represents the most effective way to reduce local carbon emissions.’
Article posted on 6th July, 2009 - 2.29pm
One Article Comment
How many Deputies are man-made climate-change deniers?
The public needs to know how Deputies stand on issues like these. We need to know where we should put our support if we are to be engaged in the political process (and so make Guernsey more democratic).
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