UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday announced a new ambitious target to reduce his country’s emissions by at least 68 per cent by 2030, compared with the 1990 levels.
The UK’s new target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the country’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Climate Agreement, is among the highest in the world and commits the nation to emission cuts at the fastest rate for any major economy so far.
The announcement came ahead of co-hosting of the Climate Ambition Summit by the UK on December 12, which will coincide with the fifth anniversary of the historic Paris Agreement.
The summit calls on countries around the world to submit ambitious NDCs or other climate plans as the UK heads towards the UN COP26 climate talks, which the government will host in Glasgow next year.
The new target meets the recommendation of experts at the independent Climate Change Committee, who advise the government on emissions targets.
Johnson said: “We have proven that we can reduce our emissions and create hundreds of thousands of jobs in the process — uniting businesses, academics, NGOs and local communities in a common goal to go further and faster to tackle climate change.
“Today, we are taking the lead with an ambitious new target to reduce our emissions by 2030, faster than any major economy, with our 10-Point Plan helping us on our path to reach it.
“But this is a global effort, which is why the UK is urging world leaders as part of the next week’s Climate Ambition Summit to bring forward their own ambitious plans to cut emissions and set net-zero targets.”
The UK’s Business and Energy Secretary and also COP26 President, Alok Sharma said: “Tackling climate change is the one of the most urgent shared endeavours of our lifetime, demanding bold action from every nation to prevent catastrophic global warming.
“As a country, we have demonstrated that we can both rapidly cut carbon emissions, while creating new jobs, new technologies and future-proof industries that will generate economic growth for decades to come.
“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. I hope other countries join us and raise the bar at the next week’s UN Climate Ambition Summit, and ahead of the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow next year.”
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