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The UK has become the first major economy to set a legally binding target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050.
Acting energy and clean growth minister Chris Skidmore signed an amendment to the 2008 Climate Change Act earlier today (27th June). The previous target was an 80 per cent reduction on 1990 levels by the middle of the century.
“The UK kick-started the industrial revolution, which was responsible for economic growth across the globe but also for increasing emissions,” said Skidmore.
“Today we’re leading the world yet again in becoming the first major economy to pass new laws to reduce emissions to net zero by 2050 while remaining committed to growing the economy – putting clean growth at the heart of our modern industrial strategy.
“We’re pioneering the way for other countries to follow in our footsteps driving prosperity by seizing the economic opportunities of becoming a greener economy.”
Only two other countries have so far signed net-zero targets into law – Sweden and New Zealand. However, a total of 15 nations have declared an intention to reach net zero emissions, along with 11 states and regions and 23 cities. Bhutan and Suriname are already carbon neutral.
According to the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), they together represent almost one-sixth (16 per cent) of global economic output.
ECIU director Richard Black said: “Having a net-zero target with a date before mid-century is probably the best single indicator of whether a nation is serious about delivering what it promised at the Paris summit, so it’s notable that such a large slice of the global economy is already being conducted under net-zero targets.”
“Of course a target means little without a process to meet it,” he added. “But science shows unequivocally that halting climate change means reducing emissions to net zero; so if a government isn’t planning to bring its own emissions to net zero, it can’t really claim to be planning to do its share of stopping climate change.”
Today has also seen the government announce £26 million of investment in nine carbon capture, usage and storage projects and release new figures showing fossil fuels’ share of the generation mix falling to a new quarterly low over the first three months of 2019.
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