Output details

From long-term targets to cumulative emission pathways: Reframing UK climate policy

This paper focuses on the UK as having the most advanced legislative programme on climate change. However, even in the UK, the climate agenda remains dominated by end-point emission reduction targets (e.g. 80% by 2050), which have little scientific legitimacy. Making the case that policies should be premised on cumulative emissions and carbon budgets, the paper has been influential across a range of stakeholders, including parliamentary committees, businesses and NGOs, and has provided a persuasive and scientific argument for the UK Government to move to a carbon-budget framing of its legislative programme. Such an approach is now enshrined in legislation.