Britain sets up ambition on climate change

The UK will make its goal of cutting greenhouse gases 60 per cent by 2050 legally binding, the Environment Ministry has signalled. Britain’s goal is already one of the most ambitious in Europe, second only to France’s aspirational target of a 75 per cent reduction, also by 2050. The UK government has also announced a new package of climate change legislation within weeks.

It will establish an independent “carbon committee” to advise across government on measures needed and their wider impacts, for example on the economy, the environment ministry said. It will “create enabling powers”for further steps to cut emissions, and it will “improve” monitoring and reporting arrangements.