UK’s carbon reduction targets still based on 80% threshold

A Parliamentary committee chair has urged the government to bring its carbon reduction targets for the upcoming decade into line with its new 2050 net-zero goal.

The fourth and fifth carbon budgets, which cover the decade ending in 2032, are currently based on the UK’s old goal to cut emissions to 80 per cent of 1990 levels by 2050 rather than the net-zero target adopted by Parliament last year.

Rachel Reeves, chair of the business, energy and industrial strategy (BEIS) committee, used the department’s question time yesterday (3 March) to call for these upcoming carbon budgets to be brought into line with the more ambitious target.

She said: “Those carbon budgets are premised on achieving an 80 per cent reduction in carbon emissions, yet this House has unanimously passed legislation to achieve net zero. It is neither coherent, nor showing leadership, for our fourth and fifth carbon budgets to be based on an outdated objective that this House has rejected.”

Alok Sharma, making his first appearance at the departmental question time since his appointment in last month’s cabinet reshuffle as both BEIS secretary of state and president of the COP 26 summit, acknowledged Reeves’ point while defending the government’s position on emissions reductions

He said “We are one of the first countries in the world to have legislated for a net-zero target, and we have demonstrated our global leadership. We have met the first two carbon budgets and are on track to meet the third, but I take her point.

Reeves was speaking after shadow energy minister Alan Whitehead had quizzed Sharma on why the government is continuing to use the targets in the fifth carbon budget as the basis of proposed carbon reduction offer at this year’s Cop 26 summit.

Every country signed up to the 2015 climate change Paris agreement – which commits to keeping global temperature rises within 1.5 degrees of pre-industrial levels – is obliged to submit a National Determined Contribution setting out its emission reduction plans.

Sharma said the government recognised the need for further action on carbon reduction and that it has “new plans” to decarbonise key sectors in industry.

In the same debate, David Mundell, former secretary of state for Scotland, issued a note of dissent on the government’s decision to reopen the Contract for Difference auctions for onshore wind farms.

He said: “Not everyone in Scotland will welcome yesterday’s announcement, not least my constituents, who have more wind turbines—in sight or planned—than any other constituency in the United Kingdom.”

Replying for the government, energy minister Kwasi Kwarteng said: “We are very mindful of community consent and engagement with the planning process through consultation periods.

“We are also ensuring that the planning regime is robust. On balance, it was felt that we needed to make a move on this pot 1 auction in order to reach the target.”