The UK plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050

It's the most ambitious target of any major economy.

The news: The UK government has set a new target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. “Net” zero means balancing emissions with carbon removal or carbon offsetting.

How will it achieve it? It won’t be easy. The UK is already not on track to hit its previous, lower target of cutting emissions by 80% by 2050. The new, more ambitious target, will require vast, wholesale changes to the UK’s economy. The UK’s Climate Change Committee has suggested phasing out all new petrol and diesel cars by 2035, and getting households to switch from natural gas to low-carbon alternatives.

But remember: The UK is responsible for 1.2% of global emissions, dwarfed by Chinaand the US, which make up nearly 40% of global emissions between them. Both of them will need to commit to reduce their emissions drastically if there’s any hope of avoiding going above 1.5°C of global warming, which has already risen by 1°C above pre-industrial levels.