Boris Johnson accelerates on decarbonization. The premier announced that Britain intends to reduce harmful emissions by 78% by 2035, fifteen years ahead of schedule. The new targets will be set by law and for the first time will also impose limits on the air transport sector, by road and by ship.
“We want to aim higher and higher on climate protection and for this we have established the most ambitious emissions cuts in the world,” said Johnson, stressing that the move is not only the right thing to do but will also have a positive impact on British economy, attracting investment and encouraging innovation. The premier’s announcement, which coincides with the virtual summit on the climate emergency organized by US President Joe Biden on Thursday, places Britain in the first place globally in the fight against the ‘greenhouse effect.
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AIE predicts emissions boom
The fight is becoming increasingly difficult, says the International Energy Agency (IEA), which predicts a boom in harmful emissions in the world in 2021 due to the recovery of the economy after the pandemic. It will be the second highest increase in emissions in history, second only to what occurred a decade ago after the financial crisis.The boom in CO2 emissions is due to the increase in the use of coal to generate electricity in Asia but also in the United States. The use of the most polluting of fossil fuels is particularly “disappointing and worrying,” according to the agency, because the drop in the cost of renewable energy sources has made them cheaper than coal. Only a decisive and rapid intervention by governments can prevent an irreversible worsening of the climate situation, underlined the IEA.
The commitment of Great Britain, the first advanced country to reduce emissions so quickly, is intended to be an example for other governments and an invitation to do the same. Johnson looks beyond the virtual summit in Washington at the UN Climate Change Conference, Cop-26, organized by the United Kingdom together with Italy, to be held in Glasgow in November. The UK government has embraced all the recommendations of the Independent Commission on Climate Change (CCC), including reducing harmful emissions by 78% from 1990 levels within fifteen years.
A much more ambitious goal
The previous goal was a reduction of 68% by 2030, with the final target of zero emissions by 2050. Many aspects of the economy and of people’s daily lives will have to change to meet the set goals. Less travel by car, less travel by plane, less heating in winter and air conditioning in summer, for example. More thermal insulation in homes and offices, more use of renewable energy sources, more trees, which is why environmental organizations, while welcoming Johnson’s announcement, have asked for guarantees on the funds available to finance the difficult transition to a ‘ greener economy and stressed that none of the previously set emission reduction targets were met.