The UK will aim to cut its GHG emissions by 68pc by 2030 compared with 1990 levels, the government has said. This compares with an existing target of 57pc under the country's fifth carbon budget, and an expected reduction in actual emissions under the budget of 61pc.
The new target is part of the UK's submission to the latest round of nationally determined contributions (NDC) as required under the 2015 Paris climate agreement. It is the first time the UK has set an individual NDC, following its departure from the EU.
The government does not intend to use international carbon credits as part of efforts to meet the target, it said.
"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," business and energy secretary Alok Sharma said.
"I hope other countries join us and raise the bar at next week's UN Climate Ambition Summit, and ahead of the Cop 26 climate conference in Glasgow next year."
The government will submit its NDC to the UN by the time of the summit on 12 December, it said. The event, co-hosted by the UK, is designed to give participants an opportunity to announce more ambitious NDCs and net zero strategies.
The UK's new target is in line with advice submitted to Sharma yesterday by government advisory body the Committee on Climate Change (CCC).
In the letter, the CCC said that a 68pc reduction in the UK's GHG emissions by 2030 is "eminently achievable", as long as the necessary policies are implemented across the economy "without delay".
Aviation, shipping absent
The UK's new NDC will not include commitments to tackling aviation and shipping emissions, the government said, contrary to the CCC's advice. The body had urged their inclusion despite being treated separately by the UN, given their significance for meeting Paris agreement goals.
But "the UK is supportive of multilateral action to tackle international aviation and shipping emissions through the International Civil Aviation Organisation and International Maritime Organisation," the government said.
The government indicated in its 10-point climate plan published last month its intention to invest in zero-emission aircraft research, as well as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and clean maritime technology development. It is also planning to hold consultations on an aviation decarbonisation strategy and a potential SAF mandate.
Pathway to net zero
The increased 2030 GHG cut target is "setting the UK on the path to net zero by 2050", the government said. The UK has a legally binding goal to reach carbon neutrality by the middle of the century.
A report published by the National Audit Office (NAO) today found that government is "yet to put in place all the essential components for effective cross government working" required to achieve the target.
The NAO urged the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Beis) to put contingency plans in place to ensure clarity on its net zero approach in the event a full strategy is not ready by Cop 26 owing to Covid-19 delays.
It also called for Beis to present a timeline setting out when key net zero pathway decisions need to be made.
Environmental non-governmental organisations today welcomed the government's announcement. WWF UK described the revised target as "a huge step in the right direction", while CAN Europe said that "it is good to see the UK substantially increasing its climate objectives."
But further action will be needed to meet global climate objectives, CAN Europe said. "The UK government should recognise more will need to be done to fulfil its commitment under the Paris agreement to limit temperature rise to 1.5°C. Hence the UK should already now plan a review of this target."
This article is reproduced at www.argusmedia.com
