Britain has submitted details of its carbon emissions reduction plan to the United Nations climate body, outlining the actions being taken to meet the targets announced by Prime Minister Keir Starmer last year.
At last year’s UN COP29 climate summit, Starmer pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 81% by 2035, though he did not provide specifics on how these targets would be achieved.
The submission to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), announced by Britain’s Climate Minister Ed Miliband in a written statement to Parliament, serves as the formal documentation required by the UN to track each country’s climate commitments.
While the submission did not introduce new policies or detailed sector-specific strategies, it summarised the government’s progress in reducing emissions so far and promised further details in the future.
The document stated that they will deliver an updated cross-economy plan to meet their climate targets in due course, with full detail of policy packages for all sectors.
Britain’s decision to set more ambitious climate targets was widely viewed as one of the few positive developments at November’s COP29, a summit overshadowed by concerns that Donald Trump’s potential re-election in the United States could hinder global efforts to combat climate change.
UNFCCC chief Simon Stiell welcomed the UK’s updated submission, stating that the UK’s bold new climate plan means it is even better placed to cash in on the climate action boom. Other countries, across the G20 and around the world, should follow suit. No one can afford to miss out.
The UK’s initial carbon emission cut was a 78% reduction in emissions by 2035, compared to 1990 levels. This target was set in the UK’s sixth carbon budget, which was announced in April 2021.
