Update on Climate Change press release and the PM's speech to the Leaders' Summit

​Climate change and target net zero are areas the Conservative Party and the Prime Minister would love people to be concentrating on right now.  Alas government sleaze, including the alleged dubious funding for the refurbishment of the Downing Street flat, is taking the press’s attention. 
Well let’s do our bit for Boris by summarising the latest on climate change. 
The BEIS press release on the 6th and latest Carbon Budget of 20th April and the PM’s speech to the Leaders’ Summit on Climate hosted by President Joe Biden on 22 April do, to be fair, showcase the efforts that the UK continues to make in tackling climate change.  See details of each:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-enshrines-new-target-in-law-to-slash-emissions-by-78-by-2035
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-statement-at-the-leaders-summit-on-climate-22-april-2021
The press release headlines were:

• “UK government to set in law world’s most ambitious climate change target, cutting emissions by 78% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels[1]
• for the first time, UK’s sixth Carbon Budget will incorporate the UK’s share of international aviation and shipping emissions
• this would bring the UK more than three-quarters of the way to net zero by 2050”

The government stresses that the UK remains well on track to make its contribution to reducing climate change in line with Paris Agreement global warming goals[2].  The inclusion of shipping and aviation emissions exemplify this as they have lagged behind electricity generation on decarbonisation.  Note in 2018, global aviation and shipping emitted 2.5% and 2.9% of total CO2 emissions respectively.
The UK is leading the world in tackling climate change and today’s announcement signposts that the low carbon future is in sight. The targets set in the sixth Carbon Budget will see the UK go further and faster than any other major economy to achieve a completely carbon neutral future.
At the same time, the government believes UK will be home to pioneering businesses, new technologies and green innovation as progress is made to net zero emissions.  It hopes this will lead to decades of economic growth and the creation of many jobs in the energy sector.
This 2035 target shows the world that the UK is serious about protecting “the health of the planet”.  It is already on track to outperform the third Carbon Budget which ends in 2022, as it did for the previous 2 budgets. This is due to significant cuts in greenhouse gases with the UK bringing emissions down 44% overall between 1990 and 2019, and two-thirds in the power sector.  This was achieved largely by the growth in renewables (more than quadrupled since 2010) and low carbon electricity overall now provides more than 50% of total generation.
Prior to enshrining its net zero commitment in law, the UK had a target of reducing emissions by 80% by 2050 – through the sixth Carbon Budget announcement, the government is aiming to achieve almost 80% by 2035.
The government aims to establish a detailed, cross-departmental net zero strategy to drive private investment in low carbon goods and services, supply chains, jobs and skills.
The UK was the first country to incorporate long-term carbon budgets into legislation as part of the 2008 Climate Change Act. Since then, 5 carbon budgets have been put into law putting the UK on track to meet its ambitious goal to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.  
The new target will enter law by the end of June 2021, with legislation setting out the UK government’s commitments already laid before Parliament.
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In his speech to the US Leaders’ Summit on Climate the PM talked up the strides the UK had made compared to other major economies to date.  He urged countries to raise their ambitions on tackling climate change and join the UK in setting stretching targets.  He stresses that all should include shipping and aviation.
Whilst reiterating all the points made in the press release the PM made a grand statement the UK wants to see world leaders match the UK ambition in the run up to the crucial climate summit COP26[3] in order to protect the planet.
Powerful words but are you still thinking about the refurbishment of the Downing Street flat?
Let’s see what happens.


[1] The measure of climate change by 2035 to be based on greenhouse gases emitted over 5 years to 2037.  

[2] Limiting global warming to well below 2°C.
 

[3] COP26 will take place in Glasgow in November 2021 with Cabinet member Alok Sharma as President