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Government seeks advice on net zero emissions target

A recent UN report said countries must limit global warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.

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Scottish Labour set climate change target

Climate change experts have been asked to advise the Government on setting a target for achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions from across the economy.

The Committee on Climate Change will also advise on whether the UK needs to review its 2050 target of cutting emissions by at least 80% relative to 1990 levels, to meet international commitments set out in the Paris Agreement.

Prime Minister Theresa May said: “On the global stage, the UK is driving forward action on climate change through our work at the UN and with our Commonwealth partners.

“To ensure that we continue to lead from the front, we are asking the experts to advise on targets for net zero emissions.”

The request to the CCC comes after a major UN report said countries must take “unprecedented” action to slash carbon emissions to zero by 2050 and limit global warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.

Limiting warming to 1.5C is possible but will require fast and far-reaching changes to power generation, industry, transport, buildings and potential shifts in lifestyle such as eating less meat.

It will also require action to take excess carbon emissions out of the atmosphere, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said.

The letter to CCC chairman Lord Deben invites his committee to consider what emissions reductions would be needed to make an appropriate contribution to the Paris target of a “well below 2C” rise or the 1.5C limit urged in the new report.

Energy and clean growth minister Claire Perry said the CCC would give “advice on a roadmap to a net zero economy, including how emissions might be reduced and the expected costs and benefits of doing so”.

The move comes at the start of the Green GB Week initiative, and the Government claimed that jobs in green industries could reach two million by 2030, generating up to £170 billion in exports.

Ministers will also set out proposals for new laws for “smart energy” appliances like washing machines and electric heating, with the ambition of making all new buildings smart by 2030.

Environmental campaigners welcomed the Government’s net-zero move, but called for a commitment to the 1.5C goal.

Gareth Redmond-King, head of climate at WWF said: “Scientists from around the world said we had 12 years to tackle climate change.

“Governments can no longer shirk their responsibilities.

“It’s time to act and, crucially, embrace the opportunities a green economy presents.

“Done right, this could be the biggest economic opportunity in history, driving innovation, job creation and better living standards.”

Ed Matthew from The Climate Coalition said: “It is not just the target that matters, it’s how fast we get there.

“The CCC must now ensure that this net-zero pathway is compliant with no more than 1.5C of warming.”

Shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey said the announcement came as Government “slashes support for small scale renewables, scales back support for electric vehicles ” and had been “slammed” by leading climate scientist James Hansen for its pursuit of fracking.

“This gaping contradiction is no accident – it is hypocrisy of the highest order, and an affront to those communities on which this government has forced the fracking industry,” she said.

Liberal Democrat environment spokesman Tim Farron claimed the Tories had “lurched drastically away from supporting green technologies”.

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