CO2 emissions are 'highest in UK'

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Carbon emissions per person in Wales are the highest in the United Kingdom and the 12th highest in the world, according to a report.

Research by the National Assembly's Members Research Service suggests Wales is failing to hit UK reduction targets.

It said the nation produced 14.2 tonnes of carbon dioxide per person in 2004, compared to 8.8 tonnes in England.

The Welsh Assembly Government said work was already under way to develop policies to tackle climate change.

Despite a range of policies aimed at reducing the amount of carbon dioxide Wales pumps into the atmosphere, emissions have increased overall since 1990, according to the study.

The figures mean that for 2004, Wales would appear among the poorest performing 20 countries of the 210 listed by the US Energy Information Administration.

Only 11 countries in the world have a higher figure than Wales.

A lot of the housing stock in Wales is of much poorer quality, it's much older and we have more problems for example in the winter with fuel poverty with people being unable to keep their houses warm Jenny Willott MP

The study revealed that Torfaen, Powys and Monmouthshire had the highest domestic emissions per person while the Vale of Glamorgan and Blaenau Gwent had the lowest.

The figures mean emissions in Wales in 2004 were 15% greater than the level needed to reach UK targets that the Welsh Assembly Government has pledged to help meet.

Wales would need to reduce emissions by 4% each year until 2010 to reach those targets.

Jenny Willott, Liberal Democrat MP for Cardiff Central, said figures were much higher than England because of the amount of industry and energy efficiency of homes.

She said: "A lot of the housing stock in Wales is of much poorer quality, it's much older and we have more problems for example in the winter with fuel poverty with people being unable to keep their houses warm."

More resources were needed to make houses energy efficient and able to generate their own power using technology like a wind turbine or solar panels, she said.

Climate change challenge

Such options should also be made easier for businesses, she added, and more advantage taken of Wales's potential to generate renewable energy from sources such as wind and rain.

A Welsh Assembly Government spokesperson said: "We recognise that climate change is one of the most important challenges facing the world and work to tackle this is already underway in all policy areas of the Welsh Assembly Government."

He said its aim was to achieve annual carbon emission reductions of 3% per year by 2011 in all devolved areas and it was committed to setting up a climate commission for Wales.

Among steps already taken were a home energy efficiency scheme and targets set to ensure all public buildings in Wales are carbon neutral.