UK government sets legally binding target of 87% emissions cut by 2040
By
Emily Beament
A baker's-dozen of insight crammed into one ring.
Summary
The UK Government has committed to a legally binding target to reduce climate emissions by 87% by 2040 (compared to 1990 levels), as announced by Ed Miliband. This target aligns with official advice from the independent Climate Change Committee and involves scaling up heat pumps, electric cars, and renewable energy. The government claims this will lower bills and improve lifestyles, though political consensus on climate action is increasingly fractured.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledThe Government has signed up to a legal target to cut the UK's planet-heating emissions by 87% by 2040
The reduction in greenhouse gases on 1990 levels – on the way to cutting climate pollution to zero overall by 2050, known as 'net zero' – is in line with official advice from the independent Climate Change Committee (CCC) on deliverable and cost-effective cuts
The commitment will see heat pumps, electric cars and renewables rolled out across the country in a move the Government says will bring down bills and 'upgrade lifestyles'
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