Department of Trade and Industry

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Key contributions to sustainable development:

1. Working closely with Defra, DfT and wide range of others to implement the Energy White Paper: 'Our Energy Future - Creating a Low Carbon Economy' which sets out a strategy for delivering sustainable reliable and affordable energy supplies through the competitive markets. The Strategy puts the UK on a path to a 60 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2050, with real progress by 2020, as well as mapping out an approach to ensure we have sufficient - and sufficiently diverse - energy sources in the future. In the nearer term the aims are to:

• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions, in line with our Kyoto commitment, by 12.5 per cent from 1990 levels in 2008-12; and move towards a 20 per cent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from 1990 levels by 2010.
• Increase the proportion of UK electricity produced from renewable energy sources to ten per cent in 2010, consistent with our wider goals for affordable and reliable energy supplies.

2. Contributing to sustainable development worldwide through a successful outcome on the Doha Development Agenda, especially the trade and environment and trade and development elements, and the inclusion of sustainable development in EU bilateral trade agreements.

3. Increasing the business contribution to sustainable development and de-couple economic growth from environmental impacts by:

• Promoting corporate responsibility in all areas of business activity, including in local communities and internationally.
• Promoting sustainable consumption and production, including through an eco-design academy and a sector sustainability challenge.
• Integrating sustainability into other DTI policy areas and business support.

Department of Trade and Industry - Sustainable Development Action Plan (PDF, 514KB)