Open petition: Allow higher sulphur dioxide emission to help reduce summer temperatures

Created by Shaun Rawlings
Closes on 27 April 2027

We want the Government to implement what we believe would be a quick fix to reduce the extreme summer temperatures by allowing sulphur dioxide emissions in the UK to rise back to the 2007 level, which data suggests might reduce peak summer temperatures by up to 2°C.

Sulphur dioxide in the atmosphere creates sulphate aerosols which have the effect of reducing the temperature, but in recent decades a lot of money has been spent to reduce SO2 emissions in the UK. This has reduced acid rain but has contributed in part to increased summer temperatures.

Therefore, the Government should relax emissions regulations so that sulphur dioxide emissions rise from the current c100,000 tonnes per year, back up to c500,000 tonnes per year which was the rate in 2007.

Sign this petition