Boris Johnson’s Green Plan Shows Just How Far U.K. Is From Net-Zero
Climate experts say Britain needs a more ambitious road map if it wants to zero out emissions by 2050.
Boris Johnson on Wednesday unveiled a sweeping package of measures designed to zero out Britain’s greenhouse gas pollution by mid-century. The announcement shows just how long that road will be.
The prime minister’s 10-point plan covers everything from diesel cars to hydrogen and offshore wind power. It’s one of the biggest package of climate measures set out by a British prime minister—and even won measured praise from Greenpeace as the U.K. seeks to position itself as a global leader on climate change before it co-hosts global talks next year.
But experts said the government will have to more than double the 12 billion pounds ($16 billion) it proposed, and come up with a more detailed road map, if it wants to achieve carbon-neutrality by 2050. Analysis by the independent U.K. Climate Change Committee, which monitors the nation’s progress toward its long-term climate goals, showed Britain isn’t even on track to reach its previous goal of cutting emissions by 80% in the next 30 years.