Climate Change Committee advises 81% cut in UK emissions by 2035

The government must ramp up its ambition on plans to cut UK emissions – with a reduction of 81% at the very least by 2035 – as part of its contribution to international efforts to tackle climate change, Friends of the Earth said today.

It comes as the government’s climate advisors, the Climate Change Committee (CCC), have today (26 October) published their carbon-cutting recommendation for the UK's 2035 climate target, an 81% cut in emissions.

Mike Childs, head of science, policy and research at Friends of the Earth, said:

“With climate change spiralling dangerously out of control, the recommended 81% cut should be seen as the very minimum carbon reduction target the UK government should commit to. Ramping up ambition to make even deeper cuts in practice would show real leadership in global efforts to avert the worst of climate breakdown.

“Setting strong future targets is essential, but this will be fatally undermined if existing commitments aren’t met – and the UK is way off track for meeting its pledge to cut planet-warming pollution by over two thirds by 2030.

“The government has until May next year to deliver a bold new climate plan, following our successful legal challenge. This must set out how it will meet these crucial targets and ensure a fair, green transition to a zero-carbon economy that creates jobs, cuts bills and emissions.”

Friends of the Earth has suggested a minimum cut of 82%, excluding international shipping and aviation emissions, by 2035 would be in line with the current Climate Change Act target for the period.

Under the Paris climate agreement, nations agreed to pledge cuts to their emissions every five years, knowns as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and the UK government is expected to make its 2035 commitment at next month’s UN climate summit (COP29) in Baku.

However, Friends of the Earth warns that the UK’s current 2030 target remains dangerously off track. A report published by the environment justice organisation last year, estimated that under the previous government’s policies, UK greenhouse gas emissions in 2030 would only be around 59% lower than 1990 – leaving a gap of 9 percentage points with the target of 68%.

The government’s plan for meeting its climate targets – inherited from the previous administration – was found to be unlawful earlier this year following legal challenges by Friends of the Earth and others.

ENDS