The UK government has unveiled its new net zero strategy, outlining a range of policies on sectors such as biomass, solar power, electric vehicles and nuclear reactors, as it aims to meet its

international climate commitments under the Paris agreement. However, analysis of the plan shows that it will only meet 92% of the emissions cuts required, leaving the target in jeopardy unless further action is taken.

At the heart of the strategy is the UK’s legally binding requirement to reach net zero emissions by 2050, and its commitment under the Paris agreement to cut emissions by 68% by 2030, compared with 1990 levels. The 2030 pledge is vital to get the UK on track to meet the long-term goal, and will be closely scrutinised by other governments ahead of the Cop26 summit in Glasgow later this year.

While the prime minister boasted that the UK had decarbonised faster than any other major economy, critics argue that the new plan falls short of plotting a route to net zero. Green Alliance thinktank’s head of politics, Chris Venables, said that the 92% figure was a “very generous reading” and that “there are only so many times we can claim climate leadership while falling short of our own targets.”

Shadow climate and net zero secretary, Ed Miliband, also criticised the plan, saying that “all of the policies, all of the hot air, don’t meet the target they promised on the world stage.”

Despite the criticisms, the government remains committed to delivering its international commitments, with a spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero stating that “our carbon budget delivery plan is a dynamic long-term plan for a transition that will take place over the next 15 years, setting us on course to reach net zero by 2050.”

The plan acknowledges that significant changes will need to be made to decarbonise, particularly in the electricity sector, but the government has emphasised that this will be a transition over a period of time, rather than a sudden overhaul. The plan also recognises that further measures may be needed to ensure the UK meets its international commitments.

As the world looks towards the Cop26 summit, the UK’s efforts to meet its climate targets will be closely watched by other governments, and the success or failure of the new net zero strategy will be a key indicator of the country’s commitment to tackling the climate crisis. Photo by IAEA Imagebank, Wikimedia commons.