On 26 November, the CCC published its fifth carbon budget advice, recommending the level of UK emissions in 2028-32, as required under the Climate Change Act 2008. The Committee recommends the fifth carbon budget is set at 1,765 MtCO2e, including international shipping. That would limit annual emissions to an average of 57% below 1990 levels.
The advice balances a range of factors the Committee must consider, keeps the UK on its cost-effective path to the 2050 legislated commitment to reduce UK emissions by at least 80% on 1990 levels, and continues the UK’s historical rate of emissions reduction.
Four carbon budgets have been legislated to date, in line with advice from the CCC. The Government must legislate the level of the fifth carbon budget by June 2016. Watch Lord Deben, CCC Chairman, highlight the key points of the advice.
The Committee also published a technical report as part of its fifth carbon budget advice. Sectoral scenarios for the fifth carbon budget describes the scenarios used to inform the Committee’s judgements about the cost-effective path to the legislated 2050 commitment.
Two further reports were published in October 2015. The scientific and international context for the fifth carbon budget examines the scientific and international circumstances the Committee is required to consider under the Climate Change Act when advising on carbon budgets.
Power sector scenarios for the fifth carbon budget sets out scenarios for the UK power sector in 2030, given the importance of the power sector in meeting economy-wide emissions targets.
More recently the CCC have published a statement on domestic implications of the Paris agreement.
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