Net Zero: UK joins global 'carbon neutral' drive

The UK has joined a growing number of nations pushingto deliver net zero emissions during the second half of the century in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement, after the government today signed up to the now 19-strong global Carbon Neutrality Coalition.

The Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) today confirmed the UK is among four new additions to rhe group, along with Canada, Denmark and Spain.

Membership of the coalition requires governments to commit to developing and publishing long-term strategies by 2020 that set out how they plan to achieve 'carbon neutrality' during the second half of the century.

The UK has an existing statutory target to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent against 1990 levels by the middle of the century, and earlier this year the government said it would soon instruct the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) to assess how it could achieve a net zero emission economy in future.

Ministers are waiting for the results of next month's IPCC report on the feasibility of meeting the Paris Agreement's 1.5C target before instructing the CCC to investigate how the goal applies to the UK.

BusinessGreen understands that while the UK has joined the Carbon Neutrality Coalition is has not as yet committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050, despite calls from the opposition, a cross party group of MPs, and campaigners for it to do so. Rather, in joining the Coalition, the government is reiterating its ambition to achieve carbon neutrality at an as-yet-undefined date in the second half of the century.

The announcement does, though, further add to anticipation that the UK may start developing plans to set an official net zero target date in the coming months. Labour, meanwhile, has already said it backs a net zero target for before 2050 and would introduce one as part of a sweeping new green investment strategy, if elected.

In a statement today, UK Foreign Office minister Mark Field MP said the future of the planet "depends on how quickly we can become carbon neutral".

"To do this, and to meet our Paris commitments, countries need ambitious, long-term plans to reduce carbon emissions," he said. "Through our Climate Change Act, the UK was the first country to introduce legally binding emission reduction targets, and it has helped us reduce our emissions by over 40 per cent in just three decades, while simultaneously our economy has grown by 67 per cent. The UK is proud to join this international coalition of countries and cities, and we look forward to working towards a healthier, safer future together."

The Prime Minister Theresa May had first suggested the UK would be joining the Coalition in her speech at the One Planet Summit in New York on Wednesday, during which she announced £160m in funding to help boost climate resilience and accelerate emissions reductions in developing countries.

Green groups warmly welcomed the UK's decision to join the Coalition.

Sam Richards, director of the Conservative Environment Network, hailed the announcement as "fantastic news", although he emphasised his hope the UK would reach carbon neutrality before 2050.

"We know that in order to stop climate change we need to reach net zero by 2050," he said. "Leading the way offers the UK the chance to secure good green jobs - such as manufacturing electric vehicles and offshore wind turbines - while restoring our countryside to act as a sink of any remaining carbon emissions. A net zero target is hugely popular - a recent poll showed 64 per cent of voters want to reduce our emissions to zero in the next few decades. This bold commitment from the Prime Minister is welcome news for our country and our planet."

The latest additions to the group means the Coalition now boasts 19 members - including France, Germany, Mexico, and others - which have together now adopted a 'Plan of Action' to build global momentum for developing robust long-term climate strategies.

The Plan of Action will take into account the conclusions of the hotly-anticipated upcoming IPCC special report on how to avoid more than 1.5C of global warming, the higher ambition goal in the Paris Agreement. The report is expected to highlight the need for urgent global action if the world is to keep within 1.5C of warming by 2100.

It follows warnings this week that delaying major climate action around the world is likely to significantly increase the cost of keeping within the 1.5C limit.

Coalition members have agreed to develop and share their decarbonisation strategies, experiences, data and tools before 2020, and to promote increased ambition from all countries globally on reducing emissions.

The hope is that if a number of major economies submit plans to strengthen the emissions reduction proposals they submitted under the Paris Agreement before the treaty comes intofull effetc in 2020 then others will similarly ramp up ambition. 

Laurence Tubiana, CEO of the European Climate Foundation, said carbon neutrality "needs to be the lodestar of the climate community".

"It is hard to overstate the importance of countries and other actors developing ambitious long-term climate strategies if we are to achieve the objectives of the Paris Agreement," she added. "Long-term plans are in fact essential to guide investment and policy decisions today, and it is very encouraging to see a growing number of countries and large cities committing to plan for a zero GHG emissions economy."

The Carbon Neutrality Coalition was established in December 2017 and also saw 32 cities around the world pledge to go carbon neutral by 2050. Other member nations include New Zealand, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Finland, Iceland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the Marshall Islands, and Sweden.

Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand, said she intended to put into law the country's goal to reach carbon neutrality, backed by a range of initiatives and green investments. "Climate change is the greatest challenge of this generation," she said. "It has never been more urgent and important for countries, cities and citizens to work together if we are to protect our planet for our children and grandchildren."