Boris's targets 68% emissions reduction prior to climate summit

The Prime Minister has announced a 10 point plan for a 'green industrial revolution' to invest in green technologies. Covering clean energy, transport, nature and new technologies, this is Boris’s blueprint to enable the UK to forge ahead with eradicating its contribution to climate change by 2050.

The UK government has committed to reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Much of our reduction in greenhouse gas emission so far has been due to greener energy sources but the UK Climate Change Committee reports that we are not on track to hit even the less ambitious target of 80% reduction for the period 2023-27 so more action is urgently needed.

The 10 point plan

1. Offshore wind: Producing enough offshore wind to power every home.
2. Hydrogen: Up to £500 million, including for trialling homes using hydrogen for heating and cooking.
3. Nuclear: £525 million to help develop large and smaller-scale nuclear plants, and research and develop new advanced modular reactors.
4. Electric vehicles: UK will end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030 (2035 for some hybrid vehicles)
5. Public transport, cycling and walking: Making cycling and walking more attractive ways to travel and investing in zero-emission public transport of the future.
6. Jet Zero and greener maritime: £20 million for a competition to develop clean maritime technology
7. Homes and public buildings: Making our homes, schools and hospitals greener, warmer and more energy efficient, whilst creating 50,000 jobs by 2030, and a target to install 600,000 heat pumps every year by 2028.
8. Carbon capture: A target to remove 10MT of carbon dioxide by 2030
9. Nature: Protecting and restoring our natural environment, planting 30,000 hectares of trees every year.
10. Innovation and finance: To make the City of London the global centre of green finance.

Is it enough to hit the UK's legally binding 2050 Net Zero target?

In a word - no.

A number of climate scientists have pointed out that it's not enough to hit the UK 2050 target - which we are currently not on target to hit.

This is not to say the plan is bad but based on the dates being talked about and the relatively small amount of money currently backing the proposals large parts of it are more of a vision than a fully financed plan.