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https://reneweconomy.com.au/uk-sets-shining-example-for-2035-targets-as-cop29-gathers-pace-will-australia-match-its-ambition/>
"UK prime minister Keir Starmer has laid down the gauntlet on climate action to
Australia and the rest of the developed world, after committing the UK to an
interim emissions reduction target of at least 81 per cent on 1990 levels by
2035.
Starmer announced the new Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) target on
Tuesday at the COP29 climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, making the UK one
of the first major economies to do so and setting a (reasonably) high bar for
the other signatories to the Paris accord.
The adoption of 2035 NDCs was agreed to at last year’s COP28 in Dubai, in line
with advice from the IPCC that limiting warming to 1.5°C means pushing global
greenhouse gas emissions 60% below 2019 levels by 2035 – rather than just
aiming for net zero by 2050 and hoping for the best.
“Our goal of 1.5°C is aligned with our goals for growth,” Starmer told the
global climate conference.
“But a global problem also requires global partnership; responsible
international co-operation. Which is why we took the opportunity at this COP to
again urge all parties to come forward with ambitious targets of their own – as
we all agreed at the last COP.
“Because make no mistake, the race is on for the clean energy jobs of the
future; the economy of tomorrow. And I don’t want to be in middle of the pack.
I want to get ahead of the game.”
The UK’s 2035 NDC, set well ahead of the February 2025 deadline, has certainly
grabbed attention; notable descriptors include “eye-wateringly high” (
Sky
News) and “a honking great number” (The Australia Institute’s Tennant Reed).
And while the focus in the UK will be on how, and if, the new target can be
achieved – the eradication of coal power and expansion of offshore wind is a
good start – in Baku the pressure is on for other countries to show similar
ambition."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
