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Today marks a year since the UK became the world’s first major economy to enshrine in law a commitment to end its territorial contribution to global heating by 2050. A thread on what’s happened since #NetZero became law and what comes next.
2050 is too late but we can still take pride in the fact we adopted a legally-binding #NetZero target. But setting a target is one thing; hitting it is quite another. Over the past 12 months, the Government has done precious little to set us on the path to carbon neutrality.
Just two weeks after we legislated for #Netzero last year, the Government’s own climate advisors @theCCCuk warned: “UK action to curb greenhouse gas emissions is lagging far behind what is needed, even to meet previous, less stringent, emissions targets”.
Since then, we have drifted even further off course. In its annual progress report published on Thursday, @theCCCuk lamented in typically restrained language that this “was not the year of policy progress that the Committee called for in 2019”. theccc.org.uk/publication/re…
As a result of the Government's failure to act decisively, the gap between where we need to be (2050-compatible emissions cuts in light blue) and where we are headed (current emissions projections in dark blue) continues to grow.
This matters – both in terms of the pace of our own transition to a low-carbon economy but also for our credibility as a country that likes to hold itself up as a climate leader. We will have zero credibility if we do not lead by example.
In 16 months’ time, we host the crucial COP26 climate summit in Glasgow. Those talks will be the first test of a key principle of the 2015 Paris Agreement that all countries will ratchet up the ambition of their climate action plans. Its significance cannot be underestimated.
The success of COP26 will be determined by many factors, not least geopolitical headwinds, but as its host, UK leadership will be essential. It is imperative we lead the way with an enhanced 2030 climate pledge that puts us on the path to achieving #NetZero.
None of that will happen if No 10 doesn’t grip this issue. That's why it's concerning that since the Prime Minister purportedly took “personal charge” of it in October, he has reportedly only chaired a single meeting of the cabinet committee on climate change.
We must stop taking comfort in warm words that mask the absence of concrete climate action. The pandemic presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to accelerate the transition toward carbon neutrality, dealing with our current global crisis while preparing for the next one.
We have a chance to turn the threat of long-term mass unemployment into an opportunity to create decent green jobs in every region of our country; to stimulate an economy at risk of severe recession with massive investment in green infrastructure – from windfarms to wetlands.
This week @theCCCuk detailed what every government department needs to do to lock in a resilient green recovery, drive deep decarbonisation across the whole economy and put us firmly on the path to achieving #NetZero. The Government must now get on with it.
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