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The UK has toughened its climate targets by committing to reaching "net zero" carbon emissions by 2050, the government has announced.

Theresa May confirmed the UK will legislate for the new legal target to be hit by the middle of the century. The commitment means Britain is the first G7 nation to set such a goal.

It comes after the existing goal to cut pollution by 80 per cent within that time was agreed under the Climate Change Act in 2008. Campaigners had said the previous target did not go far enough to meet pledges made under the 2015 Paris climate agreement to try to limit a rise in global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Environmental charities described the plan, which was unveiled on Tuesday night, as a “crucial first step” but said the 2050 target could be brought further forward if climate action is made a first priority.

Hitting “net zero” – a 100 per cent cut in emissions – will mean a major shift away from petrol and diesel cars to electric vehicles, walking and cycling.

The move will also mean an end to the heating of homes with traditional gas boilers and a drive towards greener energy and could require people to eat less meat and dairy and take fewer flights.

Under the plans, remaining pollution after 2050 from areas including aviation will need to be "offset" through measures to cut carbon such as planting trees.

Gareth Redmond King, head of climate change at the environmental charity WWF, said the announcement was a "crucial first step".

He said: "If we want future generations to live on a viable planet where the mass extinctions we're witnessing halt, food security is ensured and coastal regions are safe, then Government must accelerate policies and commit resource to slashing emissions, heat our homes with clean energy and make climate action a priority across all departments."

How life could change in a world of net zero emissions People could see widespread changes in their daily lives as the UK moves to cut climate emissions to zero over the next three decades.



The Government's expert advisory Committee on Climate Change set out in a recent report the need for changes in how homes are heated, transport and what people eat in order to meet the new goal. Even the look of the countryside could change, with more trees and mixed farming replacing the monocultural landscapes of today. Millions of homes will have to switch to low-carbon heating before 2030, with heat pumps, district heating networks and hydrogen boilers replacing natural gas boilers, analysis has found. Homes could be fitted with "smart" systems to help control heat and power use, as well as improvements in insulation and double glazing, which would cut energy bills as well as reducing carbon emissions. Families could also make a contribution to cutting emissions by switching short-haul flights to train journeys and reducing long haul flights. People will also need to eat less beef, lamb and dairy, use separate food waste collections and even switch to peat-free compost in their gardens to help cut emissions, the report from the Committee on Climate Change said. Drivers will have to move from petrol and diesel vehicles to electric vehicles, which will become cheaper than their old equivalents in the 2020s, or even give up their cars for walking, cycling and public transport. But as it made the announcement, Number 10 highlighted how the changes could help improve health, for example by cutting air pollution from transport, and boost wildlife, as more woodlands are planted. The Business and Energy Department (Beis) also pointed to the opportunity to create jobs through the shift to zero emissions, with 400,000 people already employed in the low carbon sector and its supply chain. Beis said it was investing in clean growth to create two million high quality jobs by 2030.

Mr King added the speed in developing innovative technologies like solar panels and wind turbines in the past decade should provide hope the UK could go faster and reach net zero by 2045.

Tuesday night’s announcement comes after the Government's advisory Committee on Climate Change called for the new legal target to be brought in as soon as possible and to urgently ramp up action to cut emissions.

The committee told the Government the move would be in line with commitments to limit global temperature rises to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels under the international Paris Agreement and will provide leadership for other countries on tackling climate change.

A leaked letter last week showed the Treasury warning Prime Minister Mrs May that making the shift to a zero carbon economy would cost at least £1 trillion.

But the committee said it will cost around 1-2 per cent of annual economic output up to 2050 - the same as predicted a decade ago for the 80 per cent target - while the cost of inaction would be many times higher.

The shift, which is achievable with known technologies, will deliver economic opportunities and other benefits, the committee said.

In the wake of the committee's recommendations, scientists, campaigners and health professionals have been urging the Prime Minister to bring in a net zero target before she stands down, as a legacy of her premiership.

Number 10 said the move would boost public health, air quality and nature and will make the UK a leader on climate action, as the first G7 group of major economies to put a net zero target into law.

But it was "imperative" other countries follow suit, so there will be a review within five years to ensure other nations are taking similarly ambitious action, and that British industries are not facing unfair competition.

In the wake of widespread climate strikes by schoolchildren and students, the Government is also setting up a Youth Steering Group for young people to advise it on priorities for environmental action.

New net zero target: key questions answered Why do we need to aim for zero emissions? As more greenhouse gases lead to more warming, stabilising the planet's temperature at any level will require global emissions to fall to zero overall. A key UN report last year said that to keep temperatures from rising to more than 1.5C in the long-term, countries need to cut carbon emissions to net zero by 2050, with steep cuts in other greenhouse gases such as methane. What does net zero mean? It means cutting emissions to as close to zero as possible and using methods to take greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere to "offset" the remaining pollution - for example by planting trees which absorb carbon dioxide. What happens if we do not do it? We have already experienced 1C of warming, and commitments by countries to cut their emissions leave the world on track for rises of 3C by 2100. Temperature rises of more than 1.5C are set to increase extreme weather events such as heatwaves and flooding, cause greater losses in crop yields and wildlife and raise the risk of large-scale irreversible impacts such as melting ice sheets which will push up sea levels. We are just one country. How much of a role can the UK play? While the UK's current emissions make up only a small percentage of the overall global output, the country led the industrial revolution and has made a major contribution to greenhouse gas pollution over time. Cutting all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050 will meet the UK's commitments under the Paris Agreement to limit global warming and provide leadership for other countries to follow suit. Can we do it? The Government's advisory Committee on Climate Change recommended last month that ministers should set the target as soon as possible. In its recommendations, it concluded that it can be done with known technologies and within the expected economic cost that Parliament accepted when it set the current 2050 target for an 80% cut on 1990 levels. But it will require "clear, stable and well-designed policies" to reduce emissions further across the economy without delay, the experts say. And moving to a zero emissions economy must be fair on workers and consumers.

Mrs May said: "As the first country to legislate for long-term climate targets, we can be truly proud of our record in tackling climate change.

"We have made huge progress in growing our economy and the jobs market while slashing emissions.

"Now is the time to go further and faster to safeguard the environment for our children.

"This country led the world in innovation during the Industrial Revolution, and now we must lead the world to a cleaner, greener form of growth.

"Standing by is not an option. Reaching net zero by 2050 is an ambitious target, but it is crucial that we achieve it to ensure we protect our planet for future generations."

The Government said it would retain the ability to use international carbon credits, which allow the UK to pay to offset its emissions elsewhere in the world.

Shadow energy secretary Rebecca Long Bailey said the announcement was welcomed “in theory,” but hit out at the Tory government’s record on renewable energy.

She said: "While this announcement is welcome in theory, in practice it comes from a Conservative government that is off track to meet existing climate targets, that has no plans for legislation or investment needed to cut emissions, and that has dismantled the UK renewable energy sector while pushing fracking."