A net-zero GHG target for 2050 will deliver on the commitment that the UK made by signing the Paris Agreement. It is achievable with known technologies, alongside improvements in people's lives, and within the expected economic cost that Parliament accepted when it legislated the existing 2050 target for an 80 percent reduction from 1990. However, this is only possible if clear, stable, and well-designed policies to reduce emissions further are introduced across the economy without delay. Current policy is insufficient for even the existing targets.
This report responds to a request from the Governments of the UK, Wales, and Scotland, asking the Committee to reassess the UK's long-term emissions targets. The UK Government has already committed to reducing UK emissions to net-zero—the key question for this report is by when. The committee recommends that The UK should set and vigorously pursue an ambitious target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) to net-zero by 2050, ending the UK's contribution to global warming within 30 years. Reflecting their respective circumstances, Scotland should set a net-zero GHG target for 2045 and Wales should target a 95 percent reduction by 2050, relative to 1990.