Tough UK climate change targets will push a further 1.7 million households into fuel poverty, the Government’s own global warming advisor has admitted. Adair Turner, chairman of the Committee on Climate Change, has predicted sharp rises in energy prices as he called for cuts of at least 34 per cent in Britain’s carbon emissions by 2020. He said these higher electricity and gas prices could push another 1.7 million households into fuel poverty by 2022. In a report out today, the committee said: “Electricity price impacts of carbon budgets could increase the number of fuel poor households by 600,000 in 2022. “Gas price impacts could further increase this number by 1.1 million households by 2022.” The committee estimated it would cost £500 million each year to get those households out of fuel poverty. But it added that 400,000 households could be lifted out of fuel poverty by energy efficiency measures in their homes. Climate change poses a grave threat to human welfare, the environment and the economy. We need to act now

The Government’s most recent estimate is that there were 3.5 million fuel poor households in 2006, with a projection that more than one million additional households may fall into fuel poverty between 2006-2008. It said that emissions should be cut by even more than the 34% it was calling for if an international deal on reducing greenhouse gases is agreed. If the current UN negotiations lead to a new deal on climate change in Copenhagen next December, the UK’s greenhouse gases should be cut by 42% on 1990 levels by the end of the next decade. The significant reductions can be achieved at a cost of less than 1% of GDP in 2020, and using existing green technologies, a report from the committee said.

But stronger Government policies will be needed to move the UK to a low-carbon economy. The cuts can be achieved by cleaner power generation from sources such as wind, which could make up 30% of the UK’s electricity by 2020, and measures including energy-efficiency improvements in homes and offices and developing more efficient, electric and hydrogen-powered cars. Lord Turner said: “Climate change poses a grave threat to human welfare, the environment and the economy. “We need to act now, in the UK and as part of a global agreement, to significantly reduce our emissions. “It is not too late to tackle climate change, but it will be unless the world takes action soon, and the developed countries need to lead the way with strong commitments and strong delivery against the budgets. “The reductions required can be achieved at a very low cost to our economy: the cost of not achieving the reductions, at national and global level, will be far greater.”

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