The Government has set its next target for long-term emissions reduction, with the proposed level for the seventh Carbon Budget, which sets a target of around 87 per cent emissions reduction in the period 2038 to 2042, as endorsed by the Environmental Audit Committee and the Climate Change Committee.

Despite some calls to water down the target, the Government has stuck to an ambitious set of targets that builds on the work of the Conservatives in their Climate Change Act 2008.

The UK reduced its total greenhouse gas emissions by around 54 per cent since the 1990 baseline, making it the first major economy to halve its emissions while expanding its economy. The new target is on top of the existing target of 81 per cent by 2035, and the ultimate goal remains achieving complete net-zero by 2050.

The target remains consistent with the Paris Agreement to keep global warming to 1.5C or lower and is based on assumptions on the adoption of technologies such as solar, batteries and EVs.

A delivery plan setting out how Carbon Budget 7 will be met will be published as soon as is reasonably practical after Parliament has approved the budget and will provide a long-term certainty that could encourage investment.

For reference, as a global figure, UK emissions are around 0.7 to 0.8 per cent of annual global CO2 emissions.

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