The UK overachieved on emissions reduction targets under its third carbon budget, but it will not carry forward the emissions ‘surplus' to the next carbon budget, the government said today.
A carbon budget is a cap on emissions over a certain period. The UK's third carbon budget covered 2018-22, while the fourth carbon budget covers 2023-27.
UK emissions over 2018-22 stood at 2.15bn t/CO2 equivalent (CO2e) — 319mn t/CO2e below the third carbon budget cap. Emissions on average over the period were 47pc lower than emissions in 1990 — the baseline year. "By the end of the period in 2022, UK net greenhouse gas emissions were 50pc lower than base year emissions", the government said. The country is also on track to overachieve during the fourth carbon budget, it added.
"The government decision not to carry forward the surplus keeps the UK within its ambitious target with no additional headroom to emit greenhouse gases over the coming years", the government said.
The UK has made progress on cutting emissions, including phasing out coal. But the surplus was largely down to external factors, including the Covid-19 pandemic, the independent advisory Climate Change Committee (CCC) found previously.
The UK has a legally-binding target to reach net zero emissions by 2050. It also has targets to cut emissions by 68pc by 2030 and 77pc by 2035, both from the 1990 base level.
The CCC warned in February that the government should not carry forward any surplus from the third carbon budget, to avoid weakening action on decarbonisation.
