Britain sets target of 57% CO2 cuts by 2030
Given the chaos in British politics these days, many of us environmentalists are rightly worried about the impact on long-term carbon cuts and the progress of green energy. Here's at least one piece of good news though, as reported over at The Guardian:
The Brits just adopted their "fifth carbon budget", and it include an ambitious target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions 57% by 2030, based on 1990 levels as a baseline. That's a target considerably more rigorous than the 40% cut that the UK was committed to as part of its (now time-limited) EU membership.
Of course targets are one thing. Delivering on them is quite another. But it is encouraging to see the government seek to reassure environmentalists and investors alike that there will be long-term stability and predictability when it comes to climate change policy and emissions reductions.
According to the BBC, even energy companies are happy to see this new budget—after all, they need to know which way the country is headed so that they can plan accordingly. But stakeholders noted that even though this is a world-leading goal, it's still not enough to meet UK's share of emissions cuts to meet the the 1.5 degree target agreed to in Paris.