The United Kingdom promises to reduce its CO ₂ emissions by 78% by 2035

The United Kingdom, which will host the COP26 climate summit at the end of the year in Glasgow, promised on Tuesday to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 78% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels.

The United Kingdom, which will host the COP26 climate summit at the end of the year in Glasgow, promised on Tuesday to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 78% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson made the announcement two days before an international climate summit proposed by US President Joe Biden, which should mark Washington’s return to the fight against global warming following the disengagement of Donald Trump.

The new British commitment is an increase from the previous target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 68% by 2030 compared to 1990, which was already considered an ambitious project.

We want to continue to raise the bar in the fight against climate change, and that’s why we’re setting the world’s most ambitious emissions reduction target,” Johnson said.

The United Kingdom thus intends to lead by example a few months after hosting the great UN climate conference in november in the Scottish city of Glasgow.

“We want world leaders to follow our example and live up to our ambitions ahead of the crucial climate summit, COP26, because we will only rebuild greener and protect our planet if we come together to act,” Johnson urged.

His government aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, which will involve a major transformation of the British economy.

To achieve this goal, “the UK will be home to pioneering companies, new technologies and green innovations,” the prime minister said.

To reduce _CO2 emissions, the British committee on climate change, which advises the executive, suggested investing in energy renovation and in the construction of buildings that consume less energy, developing electric vehicles and planting trees.

But the head of business of the opposition Labour Party, Ed Miliband, considered that “the government cannot be trusted to match rhetoric with reality”.

“This year, as host of COP26, the UK has a special responsibility to lead the way towards a greener future. This government is not up to the task,” he said.

Source: The Economist