The UK strengthens its climate targets

The UK government announced on May 21 that it will maintain its ambitious climate targets, despite having exceeded its recent emissions targets by 15% between 2018 and 2022. This decision reaffirms the UK's commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
Le Royaume-Uni Renforce ses Objectifs Climatiques Malgré ses Récentes Performances.

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The UK’s Department for Energy Security and Carbon Neutrality has confirmed that it will not carry forward the surplus from its third carbon budget. By outperforming its legal emissions targets, the government is underlining its unwavering commitment to carbon neutrality, according to Justin Tomlinson, Minister for Energy Security and Carbon Neutrality.

A strong message

This decision comes a few months after the Committee on Climate Change warned the government not to relax its emissions targets. Piers Forster, acting Chairman of the Committee, hailed the decision as “the right choice”. He added: “We have halved our emissions since 1990. The next big challenge is to meet the UK’ s 2030 target of decarbonizing by 68% compared to 1990 levels.”

A Call for Investment

The Committee on Climate Change stated in March that the government needed to almost quadruple the pace of emissions reductions in non-energy sectors to meet its 2030 target. This government decision is seen as a necessary step to encourage more investment in low-carbon solutions across the country.

Changing Policies

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government has been criticized over the past year for allegedly weakening its climate commitments. In September, the government dropped proposals to ban the installation of gas boilers in new homes from 2025 and delayed a ban on new conventional car sales until 2030.

Reactions and outlook

These policy reversals have been criticized, with some claiming that they compromise the UK’s reputation as a leader in climate policy. Nevertheless, carbon allowance prices in the UK have recently risen, reflecting growing demand for these permits. The UK has set a target of reducing emissions by 78% by 2035 compared with 1990 levels, aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050. The country’s greenhouse gas emissions fell by 5.4% last year, mainly due to lower gas demand for power generation and heating.

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