The UK government’s plans to delay the country’s carbon reduction targets has recently been met with a wave of criticism. Recently announced by Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the plans would place the UK amongst the worst of its OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) partners in carbon emissions reduction, falling below the 2030 targets originally outlined in the UK’s Climate Change Act 2008.
The climate change ambition, promised earlier this month by Sunak in a meeting with business groups, has been branded ‘short-sighted’, ‘reckless’ and ‘irresponsible’ by green campaigners and politicians alike. The proposed plan will de-prioritize the country’s 2032 objective of achieving net zero carbon emissions.
David Butler, chief executive of ShareAction, a charity which works to ensure that companies carry out their civic responsibility, hit out at the government’s plans, calling them “a massive missed opportunity”, adding “The Chancellor’s decision to push back legally binding environmental targets is a worrying sign that this government is unwilling to take the urgent action needed on climate change.”
The news comes as the government has also recently been accused of significantly weakening the UK’s future energy policy in its Energy White Paper, released last month. Alok Sharma, the President of the upcoming UN climate change conference (COP26), defended the decision, insisting that the UK will still “achieve its legally binding target and set a global example for tackling climate change”.
However, John Sauven, executive director of Greenpeace UK, countered these claims and argued that “achieving our legally binding target doesn’t excuse setbacks and delays in tackling climate change. If we are serious about leading the world on this issue then we must not fall short of our own commitments – every year counts.”
The government’s plans may be short-lived, as it is possible that changes to the Climate Change Act may be challenged in the near future, either through judicial review or potential protest. In any case, with the imminent COP26 climate conference fast approaching, the UK will be feeling the pressure to set an example to nations around the world.
