Climate Change Targets

The Climate Change Act 2008 sets the legislative basis for the UK’s action on climate change[2].

In 2019, following the recommendation of the Climate Change Committee (CCC), the Government committed to a 100% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 as compared to a baseline of 1990. This was done via the Climate Change Act 2008 (2050 Target Amendment) Order 2019. This is referred to as the net zero target and is legally binding.

The legal definition of net zero as set out in the Climate Change Act is to ensure that the “net UK carbon account” is 100% lower than the 1990 baseline. This can be achieved through reducing emissions as well as offsetting greenhouse gases, such as planting trees or using carbon capture and storage technologies. This means the total greenhouse gas emissions produced would be equal to the greenhouse gas equivalents removed from the environment[2]

All of the UK must meet net zero by 2050 in line with the target set out in legislation; however, the four parts of the UK have different emissions profiles and approaches to achieving this[2].

England, Wales and Northern Ireland will reach net zero by 2050, whilst Scotland has set its own target to become a net zero economy by 2045.

In 2020, the interministerial group for Net Zero, Energy and Climate Change was established to support collaboration across the parts of the UK[2].

Following the 21st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) in 2015, the Paris Agreement was adopted. It is a legally binding international agreement on climate change with an overarching goal to keep the increase in global average temperature to “well below” 2°C above pre-industrial levels, and to “pursue efforts” to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C. It entered into force on 4 November 2016[2].

As part of the agreement, countries (including the UK) have to submit a “nationally determined contribution” (NDC) to set out the actions they will take to meet the goals of the agreement[2].

In December 2020, the UK Government submitted its NDC to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in line with Article 4 of the Paris Agreement. In its NDC, the UK committed to reducing economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions by at least 68% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels.

In January 2025, the UK Government submitted its revised NDC to the UNFCCC. In this, the UK committed to reducing economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions by at least 81% by 2035, compared to 1990 levels. This followed advice from the CCC which recommended that the NDC be set at this level to remain consistent with the government’s net zero by 2050 ambitions and clean power by 2030 target [2].

There are no separate interim targets for England, with progress assessed against UK-wide targets. Northern Ireland has set an interim target of 48% reduction by 2030 through the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, and Wales has set an interim target of 63% by 2030 through the Climate Change (Interim Emissions Targets) (Wales) Regulations 2021[2]. Scotland set an interim target of 75% by 2030 through the Climate Change (Emissions Reductions Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019, but this has subsequently been withdrawn by the Scottish Government[2].