UK policy
What are the UK’s carbon emissions?
Want to know how the UK is contributing to climate change? In this post, we look at the UK’s carbon emissions today and how they have changed over time.
By
Jamie
The Climate Change Act 2008 was the world’s first national law to set legally binding emissions reductions targets.
When it was brought in, it said that by 2050 the UK government had to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% compared with 1990 levels. In 2019, this was updated to 100% – in other words, the UK has to reach net zero by 2050. But what’s in the Act, and what difference has it made?
If you find this ‘What’s in the Climate Change Act 2008 and has it reduced emissions?’ explainer useful, please share it using the social media buttons above, or copy and paste this link: URL
Tell Labour they can win votes by prioritising climate action – Pledge to put climate first at the next election. Make the pledge and we’ll tell you when and how to cast the strongest tactical vote for climate in national and local elections.
By the mid-2000s, climate change had become a big political issue in the UK – so much so that in 2006, the Conservative Party changed its logo to a tree! In 2005, Friends of the Earth launched a campaign called The Big Ask calling for a law which would commit the UK to cutting emissions year on year – rather than setting meaningless long-term targets the government could ignore.
In 2007, this pressure – plus support from MPs of all parties – led Gordon Brown’s Labour government to introduce the Climate Change Bill to parliament. It became law in November 2008, under Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed Miliband. Miliband became the next Labour leader and later the secretary of state for Climate Change and Net Zero – a job he holds today.
The Act was the world’s first national law to set legally binding long-term carbon reduction targets. The main features of the Act are:
Excluding international aviation and shipping, the UK’s emissions in 2024 were less than half their 1990 levels. That year, the Committee on Climate Change reported that the UK had successfully met its third carbon budget, which lasted from 2018 to 2022 – and was therefore set before the net zero target was introduced into law in 2019. Half of the emissions reductions over the first three budgets were due to the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
The government updated the Climate Change Act in 2019, changing the 2050 emissions-reduction target from 80% to 100% of 1990 levels. This change enshrined net zero in law. In other words, under the Climate Change Act, the UK is legally obliged to reduce emissions to net zero by 2050.
In this sense, the Act is doing its job. But is the government doing enough to keep us on track for this long-term target?
Under its nationally determined contributions (NDCs) submitted to the global COP conference, the UK has committed to reduce our 2030 emissions to 68% of 1990 levels. This was the UK’s first target in line with reaching net zero by 2050. But according to the Committee on Climate Change’s 2024 report, current policies are not enough to achieve this goal – in fact, they only take us about a third of the way there.
Then there is the science. If the government met the requirements of the Climate Change Act, would the UK be doing its bit to ensure temperature rises do not exceed 1.5C compared with pre-industrial levels?
Probably not. UN scientists have calculated the amount of carbon dioxide the world can burn while still having a chance of limiting temperature rises to 1.5C. The UK has a share of this carbon budget, which it needs to stay within to do its bit. Currently, we are on track to breach our carbon budget around 2033.
The purpose of the Climate Change Act is not to keep us within our carbon budget. It doesn’t include provisions to limit temperature rises. It just sets a target by when the UK should achieve net zero emissions.
The Climate Change Act 2008 is the main law on emissions reductions. There are various other laws which have a bearing on emissions and the overall health of our environment:
Other government acts and measures will also have a bearing on our emissions. For example, the Bus Services (No 2) Bill will set a date from which all new buses must be zero emissions. Also, the zero emissions vehicle mandate – which isn’t a separate law but is introduced through existing powers – will also push emissions down.
There are lots of things you can do – from switching to a plant-based diet to giving up flying. There are many good reasons to take individual steps to reduce our emissions. However, what we do as individuals is a drop in the ocean. What we really need is government action.
At VoteClimate, we want to show the Labour government that it can win votes in future elections by adopting better climate policies. You can pledge to put climate first at the next election – if enough people make this pledge, we can show Labour that voters want climate action. And when you sign up, we’ll tell you when and how to cast the strongest tactical vote for climate in national and local elections.
See the latest news & updates from VoteClimate.
Want to know how the UK is contributing to climate change? In this post, we look at the UK’s carbon emissions today and how they have changed over time.
We look at the laws on climate and environment that all UK governments have to stick to, before exploring the pledges and actions across different policy areas.