The UK has formally locked in its target to slash greenhouse gas emissions by at least 81% compared to 1990 levels in just ten years.
The declaration, first announced by the Prime Minister at COP29 in November 2024, is now official under the Paris Agreement, as our Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the UN.
It excludes international aviation and shipping but sets one of the most ambitious emissions reduction goals of any major economy.
All countries signed up to the Paris Agreement must submit their NDCs every five years. The UK’s latest submission, covering 2031 to 2035, was sent to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) yesterday. It will be reviewed ahead of COP30 in Brazil later this year.
To support its pledge, the UK has also submitted a technical document outlining how the target will be met.
This includes key policies, sector breakdowns and how the plan aligns with the Paris Agreement’s wider goals. The document also references the COP28 Global Stocktake, which assessed global progress on climate action.
Ministers are expected to release an updated economy-wide plan, setting out how carbon budgets 4-6 will be met alongside the 2030 and 2035 NDCs.
With the 81% target locked in, the pressure is on the government to outline clear policies, drive investment in clean energy and ensure emissions cuts are delivered across all sectors.
Welcome step
Organisations have welcomed the formalisation of the NDC
The Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA), CEO Trevor Hutchings said: “REA welcomes the enhanced ambition in the UK’s NDC commitment. The renewables and clean tech sector will be critical to deliver this and we must ensure that measures to progress ‘harder to decarbonise’ sectors in heat and transport are included when addressing the challenge.”
Rachel Solomon Williams, Executive Director of the Aldersgate Group, added: “To meet this ambitious target in practice, further detail on the specific delivery plans set to be put in place is critical.
“The private sector is ready to play its part but needs this certainty to provide the confidence that drives investment.”