It’s Wednesday, June 12, and the U.K. is keeping calm and carrying on in the face of climate crisis.
Outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May will put legislation to members of Parliament on Wednesday that will require Britain to cut its emissions to net-zero by 2050, which would make it the first country in the G7 with such a commitment. The measure has broad political support in the House of Commons despite bitter divides that remain over the seemingly never-ending Brexit negotiations.
The U.K government’s Committee on Climate Change had recommended the cuts back in May. Their report noted that if other countries follow suit, there is a 50-50 chance of staying below the recommended 1.5 degrees C (2.7 degrees F) temperature rise by 2100. Believe it or not, that projection is a win.
“This is a historic commitment that will reverberate right around the world,” Laurence Tubiana, an architect of the Paris climate agreement, told the BBC.
The hope is that the U.K.’s plan will inspire other major economies to follow suit, but if not, there is a caveat written into the deal. May said that the U.K. would reevaluate the plan five years from now to make sure British industries weren’t facing unfair competition from countries that haven’t made similar commitments.
The Smog
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