UK among nations to pledge stronger climate ambition

The UK has joined 22 other countries in signing a pledge to explore the potential to step up their climate commitments before 2020 and calling for other nations to do the same.


The joint Declaration for Ambition, signed by the likes of Canada, France, Germany and the Marshal Islands, also calls for countries boost to set long-term strategies to reach net-zero emissions.

Experts claim that a net-zero target is needed to keep the world in line with the Paris Agreement’s goal of a global temperature limited to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.

The Declaration also highlights the importance of the Talanoa Dialogue, the process designed to help countries implement and enhance their Nationally Determined Contributions by 2020.

“We commit to exploring the possibilities for stepping up our own ambition, in light of the forthcoming IPCC Special Report on 1.5C, and in this context emphasize the importance of the Talanoa Dialogue at COP24,” the Declaration reads.

‘Biggest opportunity’

The document has been issued in the build up to the UN Climate Summit in 2019, which is described as the “biggest political opportunity to raise global ambition by 2020 in order to stay within the temperature limits of the Paris Agreement”.

Some of the signatories, such as Sweden and New Zealand, have already taken steps to establishing net-zero emissions targets, while earlier this week, EU negotiators struck a deal which agreed to aim for a net-zero carbon economy “as early as possible”.

In the UK, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) is set to be instructed to provide formal advice to the Government on how the UK’s emissions targets should be adjusted to align with its commitments under the Paris Agreement.

Yesterday (22 June), Ed Miliband told edie that the UK Government should look to build momentum towards the next UN climate summit by enshrining a new net-zero emissions target for 2050.

George Ogleby

Comments (1)

  1. C. Alvin Scott says:

    What a load of rubbish. The Government has decided on the Heathrow new runway, which will be a massive increase in emissions.

    Increase in Fracking also mean that there is a major increase in emissions.

    Electric vehicles with petrol engine-generators still cause emissions.

    I have a Hydrogen concept and the UK, EU and the planet need to move to Hydrogen like 10 years ago. Instead of prioritising Hydrogen, my new engine type has to compete with petrol engine improvements for funding. This is a case of vested interests, in many ways.

    If the UK Government wants to claim leading the emissions war, to save lives and stop millions of NHS funding for the Health problems, there is a need for a separate Zero Emissions and Clean Air Ministy/Department.

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