UK Announces 68 Percent Emission Reduction Target

The Prime Minister has announced a new target to reduce the UK’s emissions by at least 68 percent by 2030, compared with 1990 levels.

 

The new target is among the highest in the world and commits the UK to cutting emissions at the fastest rate of any major economy so far, according to a government statement.

 

The announcement comes ahead of the UK co-hosting the Climate Ambition Summit on the 12th December, which will coincide with the fifth anniversary of the Paris Agreement.

 

The summit calls on countries around the world to submit ambitious nationally determined contributions or other climate plans as part of the UN COP26 climate talks, the UK government highlighted. The government is hosting the event in Glasgow next year.

 

“We have proven we can reduce our emissions and create hundreds of thousands of jobs in the process – uniting businesses, academics, NGOs and local communities in a common goal to go further and faster to tackle climate change,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a government statement.

 

“We are taking the lead with an ambitious new target to reduce our emissions by 2030, faster than any major economy, with our Ten Point Plan helping us on our path to reach it,” he added.

 

“But this is a global effort, which is why the UK is urging world leaders as part of next week’s Climate Ambition Summit to bring forward their own ambitious plans to cut emissions and set net zero targets,” Mr Johnson continued.

 

The UK Business and Energy Secretary, and COP26 President, Alok Sharma, said, “tackling climate change is the one of the most urgent shared endeavours of our lifetimes, demanding bold action from every nation to prevent catastrophic global warming”.

 

“The UK’s new emissions target is among the highest in the world and reflects the urgency and scale of the challenge our planet faces. I hope other countries join us and raise the bar at next week’s UN Climate Ambition Summit, and ahead of the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow next year,” he added.

 

Source: Rigzone