UK Carbon Emissions Up In 2005 For Third Year Straight

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LONDON (Reuters) - The government on Thursday said the country's emissions of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas blamed for global warming, crept up last year in the third consecutive annual increase.

The provisional estimates came after ministers said on Tuesday the UK would miss its own target to slash CO2 emissions by a fifth by 2010 from 1990 levels. Britain is still on course to meet its greenhouse gas reduction goals under the Kyoto Protocol.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said CO2 emissions rose 0.25 percent in 2005 to 153 millions tonnes.

"The increase is due mainly to the rise in energy consumption, coupled with a small switch from gas to coal in power stations," said Defra in a statement. Gas prices surged last year, encouraging utilities to burn cheaper but dirtier coal in power stations, despite extra costs related to complying with Europe's emissions trading scheme.

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