Keir Starmer announced today (12 November) at the COP29 summit in Azerbaijan that the UK will set a target to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 81% from 1990 levels by 2035.
As expected, Starmer confirmed that this target will serve as the foundation for the UK’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), which the government must submit under the Paris Agreement.
The government has described the new NDC target as “ambitious and pragmatic,” noting that it will strengthen the UK’s position as a global leader in attracting investment for technologies and jobs driving growth worldwide.
The government also stated that the new goal would support its 2030 clean power mission, aiming to reduce reliance on costly fossil fuels while generating new green jobs.
Last month, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) recommended adopting the 2035 target, calling it “ambitious, achievable, and in line” with a 1.5°C pathway, as well as the UK’s existing legally-binding carbon budgets.
