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UK sets new climate target ahead of UN Summit

  • 3 years ago (2020-12-07)
  • David Flin
Climate change 21 Emissions 65 Europe 1089

The UK has announced a new target to reduce the UK’s emissions by at least 68 per cent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. This compares to the previous target of 53 per cent.

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The UK’s new target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Climate Agreement, is among the highest in the world and commits the UK to cutting emissions at the fastest rate of any major economy so far.

The announcement comes ahead of the UK co-hosting the Climate Ambition Summit on 12 December, coinciding with the fifth anniversary of the Paris Agreement. This Summit is in advance of the UN COP26 climate talks, to be held in Glasgow in 2021.

Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the UK, said: “We have proven we can reduce our emissions and create jobs in the process, going further and faster to tackle climate change. We are now 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.”

The UK’s Ten Point Plan is intended to deliver over £40 billion of private investment by 2030. It includes action in the following areas:

  • Advancing offshore wind.
  • Driving the growth of low-carbon hydrogen.
  • Delivering new and advanced nuclear power.
  • Accelerating the shift to zero emission vehicles.
  • Green public transport, cycling, and walking.
  • Jet zero and green ships.
  • Greener buildings.
  • Investing in carbon capture, usage, and storage.
  • Protecting the environment.
  • Green finance and innovation.