1/7 Climate progress - why I'm celebrating news from the UK and DK today
... a short thread
... a short thread
2/7 As an outspoken critic of aspirational #NetZero pledges, there are several big worries that motivate my concern. I'll focus on two here. First, they enable delay in emissions reductions, by potentially replacing accelerated mitigation with future speculative carbon removals.
3/7 Second, they enable delay in closing down fossil fuel use and extraction - allowing even oil companies and airlines to claim carbon neutrality simply by buying up removal offsets (that might not even be additional, or permanent).
4/7 So while the UK's adoption of a 68% emissions reduction target by 2030 is just another target, it is explicitly about emissions cuts (not offsets), and on a timescale that demands immediate action. Of course, I'd rather it were even tougher, and included shipping & aviation.
5/7 And while Denmark's decision not to let further oil extraction contracts in the North Sea doesn't affect existing operations, and leaves oil flowing until 2050, it draws a line in the sand that other oil-producing nations would appear unable to conceive.
6/7 If we are going to successfully shut down fossil fuel industries, stopping expanding them is an important step in that direction. Of course we need a just transition for workers, and much faster action, but this is a step worth welcoming.
7/7 Steps like these offer some hope of turning vague #NetZero pledges into meaningful climate action. Theres much more to do to deliver climate justice, but these are at least both moves in the right direction.
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