Prime minister Boris Johnson has announced that the UK will cut greenhouse gases “faster than any major economy”, with a pledge to cut annual emissions by at least 68% compared with 1990 levels by 2030.
The previous aim was to hit a 57% reduction by 2030.
The move comes ahead of a virtual international climate summit that will be hosted by Johnson next week.
“Today, we are taking the lead with an ambitious new target to reduce our emissions by 2030, faster than any major economy… But this is a global effort, which is why the UK is urging world leaders as part of next week’s Climate Ambition Summit to bring forward their own ambitious plans to cut emissions and set net-zero targets.”