UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a new, ambitious target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the country, aiming for an 81% cut from 1990 levels by 2035, Bloomberg reports.
This marks a significant increase from the previous target of 78% and aligns with the recommendations of the Climate Change Committee, the UK’s independent advisor on climate change.
“This country recognizes that the world stands at a critical juncture in the climate crisis,” Starmer said while speaking at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP) in Baku.
He outlined the importance of global climate action.
“There is no national security, there is no economic security, there is no global security without climate security.” Starmer urged all countries to follow suit and present their own ambitious targets.
By raising the UK’s climate ambitions at the global conference, Starmer aims to exert pressure on other nations to adopt targets compatible with limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. He described the move as a demonstration of “global leadership,” highlighting the UK’s commitment to tackling the climate crisis both domestically and internationally.
The announcement comes amidst growing global concern over climate change, particularly in light of the recent US presidential election victory of Donald Trump, who has previously expressed skepticism about climate science and pledged to withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement.
Environmental groups have welcomed the UK’s new target, calling it a positive step forward. However, they stressed the need for concrete action plans to achieve the goal.
The UK’s existing carbon budgets and interim targets, which aim for a 68% reduction by 2030, will need to be strengthened to achieve the new 2035 target. This will require significant reductions in sectors like transport and buildings, which currently account for a large proportion of UK emissions.
Starmer’s Labour government has committed to leveraging green investment from the private sector to achieve its climate goals. This includes the creation of Great British Energy, a public company designed to stimulate clean energy investment, and the promotion of offshore wind and other renewable energy sources.
