It has been reported that the UK is this year planning to formally ask the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) to explore the potential for the tightening of emission reduction targets to bring them in line with international goals.
Speaking during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London, energy and climate minister Claire Perry said she would instruct the CCC to report on the implications of the Paris Agreement's target to limit a rise in global average temperature to "well below" 2C and aim for 1.5C.
She announced: "After the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report later this year, we will be seeking the advice of the UK's independent advisors, the Committee on Climate Change, on the implications of the Paris Agreement for the UK's long-term emissions reduction targets".
Under the Climate Change Act 2008, the UK already has a target to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050, against 1990 levels, which is technically consistent with Paris goals to limit warming to below 2C. But there have been growing calls for the Government to boost its national targets in light of the Paris Agreement's target for reducing annual emissions to "net zero" during the second half of the century, which would require anthropogenic emissions to be balanced by the removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
The IPCC is due to release a report on the global implications of the 1.5C target in September. Perry said she would instruct the CCC to look at how the UK would meet such a goal after that report is released. The CCC will not only evaluate the UK's current target in light of the 2015 Paris Agreement, but also latest science and technology, both of which have moved on fast in the 10 years since the Climate Change Act was first agreed.
The UK is the first G7 country to formally promise to explore a net zero goal, and polling research suggests the move has strong public support. Conservative environmental think tank Bright Blue have suggested that 64% of UK adults agree the UK should aim to cut its emissions to zero over the next few decades. They also claim that 51% are more concerned about climate change today than a decade ago, climbing to 57% among the under 40s.
Reaction among campaigners and climate experts has also been positive. Ed Matthew, associate director at environmental think tank E3G, said a net zero goal would "cement the UK as the global leader in the battle against climate change".
Former environment secretary and former leader of the Conservative Party Lord Michael Howard also welcomed the news. "The Climate Change Act has proven its worth, but as science and diplomacy move on, it should of course be kept under review - and the tougher international targets agreed at the Paris summit make it likely that the UK's own target will need to be strengthened".
