UK Rewriting Climate Plan But Keeping Emissions Goal the Same
Sep 22, 2022 by Bloomberg(Bloomberg) -- The UK is updating its blueprint for cutting emissions by decade’s end but leaving the headline target unchanged as it prepares for climate talks in Egypt against the backdrop of a severe energy crisis.
Britain will submit its Nationally Determined Contribution in time for inclusion in the United Nations’ calculation of whether countries are on track to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared with pre-industrial levels, as spelled out in the Paris Agreement.
The expanded document will reiterate the nation’s goal to reduce emissions at least 68% by 2030 to keep in step with that accord, but it won’t signal any larger cuts, based on a statement by Graham Stuart, the climate minister. One change is that the NDC is being expanded to include the UK’s crown dependencies and overseas territories.
“The UK’s NDC requires the fastest rate of reduction in greenhouse gases between 1990 and 2030 of any major economy and is on a trajectory to net zero by 2050,” Stuart said in the statement. “The UK has shown leadership by revisiting its own NDC to ensure it remains a fair and ambitious contribution to global action on climate change.”
The update comes amid a severe energy crisis that’s increased pressure on the government to boost fossil-fuel production as consumer bills skyrocket. Globally, countries have been returning to dirty sources of energy, particularly coal, to keep the lights on. That stands in stark contrast to commitments made in Glasgow, Scotland, last year to “phase down” use of the dirtiest fuel.
Britain became the first major economy to pass a net-zero emissions law and made a big push as the host of COP26, the UN climate talks in Glasgow. Investors are calling on new Prime Minister Liz Truss to maintain those ambitions, though she lifted a national moratorium on exploration for shale gas Thursday.
Countries agreed in Glasgow to revise their climate pledges this year, yet few have followed through. Climate Action Tracker said only 17 nations submitted revised plans, and just one -- Australia -- announced a stronger target.
Heavy emitters Brazil and India submitted fresh NDCs, but the US and China haven’t.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2022 Bloomberg L.P.
By
More Renewables

Global Carbon Markets Face Upheaval as Nations Remake the Rules
Jun 06, 2023
China Sets Out Proposals to Underpin Its Massive Renewables Push
Jun 05, 2023
A Major Showdown Is Brewing Over What Counts as a Carbon Credit
Jun 04, 2023
Solar Beats Coal in Europe for First Time - But There’s a Glitch
Jun 03, 2023
US ‘Concerned’ About Vietnam’s Detention of Environmentalist
Jun 03, 2023
Petrobras Captures Carbon to Ramp Up Gas Production, and Calls It Green
Jun 01, 2023
China’s Economic Powerhouse Plans More Offshore Wind Power Than World Builds in a Year
Jun 01, 2023
Renewable power set to shatter more records as countries speed up deployment, says IEA
Jun 01, 2023
Semco Maritime acquires Wind Multiplikator Group
Jun 01, 2023