Carbon Budgets

(asked on 9th February 2022) - View Source

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to review carbon budgets 3, 4 and 5 following the adoption of a 1.5°C target.


Answered by
Greg Hands Portrait
Greg Hands
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
This question was answered on 25th February 2022

The Government accepted the Climate Change Committee’s advice on setting the levels of carbon budgets 1-6; and setting a 2050 net zero target. The Climate Change Committee made clear in their advice on the 6th Carbon Budget, published in December 2020, that they do not consider it necessary to re-set the levels of the existing carbon budgets (carbon budgets 4 and 5, covering 2023-27 and 2028-32) in light of the net zero target having been set.

The UK over-achieved against the first (2008-12) and second (2013-17) carbon budgets, and the latest projections show that the Government is on track to meet the third (2018-22) carbon budget too. The Government exceeded the required emissions reduction in the first carbon budget by 1.2%, and the second carbon budget by nearly 14%.

Taken together, the transitions set out in the Net Zero Strategy for every sector of the UK economy keeps the Government on track for meeting Carbon Budgets 4, 5 and 6, the country’s international commitment under the Paris Agreement (the 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution), and net zero by 2050. The Government will continue to monitor its progress across these areas.

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