Greenpeace reaction to new emissions target

In reaction to news reports that the government plans to cut the UK’s carbon emissions by 78% by 2035, Greenpeace UK’s head of politics, Rebecca Newsom, said:

“Ahead of a summit sure to be peppered with eye-catching climate announcements from world leaders later this week, it looks like Boris Johnson will make the boldest pledge of all. This major shift in gear from the government makes destructive projects like new road building and airport expansion even harder to justify.

“Targets are much easier to set than they are to meet, so the hard work begins now. In order to actually deliver on this commitment, new measures to slash emissions from homes and transport should already be well underway. So unless the government’s policies urgently fall in line with its ambitions, there could still be awkward questions for Boris Johnson at the global climate talks in the Autumn.”