To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage contribution to a reduction in UK carbon emissions on 1990 levels, as defined by the Climate Change Bill, are expected to be made by full compliance with the EU Renewables Directive by 2020. (224707)

I have been asked to reply.

Potential measures set out in the Renewable Energy Strategy (RES) consultation, to achieve 15 per cent. energy from renewable sources by 2020, are estimated to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in 2020 by 20 to 25 MtCO₂ outside the EU emissions trading scheme (transport and smaller scale heat), and to contribute 50 to 55 MtCO₂ of savings within the EU emissions trading scheme cap (electricity and larger scale heat). The estimated savings outside, and additional to, the EU ETS cap represent around 10 to 15 per cent. of the reduction in carbon emissions required to achieve the Climate Change Bill’s target of at least a 26 per cent. reduction in carbon emissions on 1990 levels for the five-year budgetary period including the year 2020, which implies a reduction in carbon emissions of at least 154 MtCO₂ on 1990 levels.