A number of commentators are concerned that this is being largely overlooked, partly due to the strength of the energy industry lobby.
[1] Along with road transport, domestic housing and energy use is currently one of the major obstacles to achieving carbon reduction targets.
It is believed that energy bills like housing a cost people always meet those giving investors a secure return.
In the housing sector, consumer electronics and IT products are an area where energy use is expected to continue to rise rapidly.
[5] It was estimated that, in 2004, at least 8% of domestic electricity was used by items in standby mode, representing 360 kWh and 42 kg of carbon emissions for each household.
The scheme is regulated by the UK Environment Agency who have said that they are taking a light touch to this piece of legislation, however failure to conduct an ESOS audit could see companies liable for fines of up to £50,000.
As of April 2020, qualifying companies must publicly disclose their total annual energy consumption, broken down by source, and the associated greenhouse gas emissions arising from the usage of each fuel type.
VED bands are based on the results of a laboratory test, designed to calculate the theoretical potential emissions of the vehicle in grammes of CO2 per kilometre travelled, under ideal conditions.
Company Car Tax, regulated by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) department, was also revised to reflect both the list price and CO2 emissions.
Although 7.5% of freight within the UK is moved by coastal shipping and on inland waterways (in tonne kilometres, excluding crude oil from the North Sea), this is largely limited to stone, aggregates and refined petroleum.
[16] As a result, the issue is receiving more attention with, for example, British Waterways considering the potential for developing inland container ports.
[17] In some areas, including London, investment is being made in the canal infrastructure in order to boost freight transport,[18][19] and action is being taken to protect the remaining wharves on the Thames.
Due to the current and projected rise in passenger numbers, the sector is expected to become a major source of emissions in the future.
[26] A range of techniques will be required including carbon sinks (greenhouse gas removal) in order to counterbalance emissions from agriculture and aviation.
[27] The UK government has recently linked attainment of net zero targets as a potential mechanism for improved air quality as a co-benefit.