The Big Act campaign by Friends of the Earth led the UK government to introduce the Climate Change Act in 2008. This was groundbreaking – the UK became the first country to set legally binding targets to cut carbon emissions. The Act legally required six greenhouse gases to be cut by 80% before 2050 (updated in 2019 to 100% Net Zero by 2050), establishing legally binding climate targets and compelling the UK government to publish a climate plan every five years on how it will reach those targets. It also created the Climate Change Committee which provides independent scientific climate analysis and advice on policy and targets.
According to a Friends of the Earth analysis, cross-party support for the Act has meant that since 2008, emissions have reduced by 41%, compared to just 16% in the 15 years before the Act became law. The Act established the UK as a world leader in climate action, giving the UK credibility to lead negotiations resulting in the 2015 United Nations Paris Agreement, when 196 countries signed up to try to keep global warming below 1.5C.
The Act is enforceable through the UK courts if the Government does not comply, and already there have been two successful court cases instigated by Friends of the Earth. The last two climate plans were found to be unlawful as they would not keep the UK on track to meet our legal target – the judge ordered a new plan by May 2025. Whilst the new Labour Government is making all the right noises, a lot depends on their plan putting us back on track.
Why is it so important to keep on track?
International Chamber of Commerce’s latest analysis shows extreme weather events led to an estimated 2 trillion dollars in global losses from nearly 4,000 events and even that likely underestimates the true scale of impacts from our changing climate. Plus rising temperatures affect income via lower agricultural yields, performance of workers, demand for energy, and the incidences of crime, unrest, and conflict.
At COP29, in November 2024, all parties agreed richer nations would help poorer nations towards climate mitigation and adaptation with $300 billion annually by 2035 and the UK announced a new emissions reduction target of 81% below 1990 levels by 2035. However, a major presence by the fossil fuel industry meant little other real progress was made.
In 2019, the Conservative Government agreed to spend £11.6 billion from 2021 / 22 to 2025 / 26 on international climate funding and the new Labour government has pledged to honour that commitment.
However, if the government produces a weak climate plan, the UK will not be able to achieve its own climate targets, so jeopardising its legal commitment under the Act and undermining UK’s influence on global cooperation running up to COP30 in November. Even as climate breaks down around us, we face continued oil industry influence, especially from major fossil fuel countries like US, Russia, and Saudi Arabia. Without the coordinated action of all countries to reduce emissions and to adapt to climate change, actions by individual countries on their own will be far less effective.
As we start the new year, we’re forced to confront a stark reality. Taking coal is out of the energy mix, the UK is struggling to produce a plan to reduce emissions in the high emitting sectors – transport, agriculture. The lack of a plan to decarbonise quickly, to mitigate the worst impacts of climate decline, to help the public adapt and to fulfil our historical responsibility as one of the world’s largest polluters shows that UK’s existing political and economic framework Is failing us all.
But the fight for a survivable future isn’t over.
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Pauline Meechan