A report has been released suggesting that if radical changes are made the UK could become zero carbon by the year 2030.

Compiled by the Centre for Alternative Technology, the Zero Carbon Britain report highlights changes which can be made across a number of policy areas including transport, buildings and land use.

It claims that a 63 per cent decrease in the energy used could be created by switching all vehicles to electric power, replacing domestic flights with road and rail services and reducing long haul flights using kerosene fuel produced in the UK.

Insulating all walls and lofts and using natural construction materials would reduce building emissions by 50 per cent, the report claimed.

There were also radical recommendations about land use, with the report suggesting an 80 per cent reduction in live stock and that Britain grows the majority of its own food.

Current UK policy is for the country to achieve a cut of ten per cent this year alone. Wider European Union targets are for a 20 per cent cut by the year 2020.

Thirteen universities, twelve research bodies and eight key industry players were involved in the creation of the report.

Andrew Simms, policy director of the New Economics Foundation, said that if action is not taken "we will lurch from one energy and environmental crisis to another on a downward spiral".