Net zero announcement: UK sets out plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions

                         

Another big push towards electric vehicles is being made in the UK government's latest strategy to make the great shift to a virtually zero-carbon economy.

Ministers are investing £620m in grants for electric vehicles and street charging points.

Car makers will be mandated to sell a proportion of clean vehicles each year.

An extra £350m is promised to help the automotive supply chain move to electric.

The new plan set out by the government is supposed to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions to reach a target of net zero by 2050.

The announcement comes 12 days before global leaders meet in Glasgow to negotiate how to curb climate change.

Achieving net zero means the UK will no longer be adding to the total amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Obstacles to UK government's net zero plans

What is net zero and how is the UK doing?

Without action on climate change, the world faces a hotter planet, rising sea levels and extreme weather that threaten many forms of life.

The UK has already made progress in cutting emissions compared to the levels released in 1990. In 2019, the country released 40% less than in 1990.

On Tuesday the government also announced a strategy to address emissions from the UK's 30 million buildings.

Homeowners will be able to apply for grants of up to £5,000 to install low-carbon heat pumps to replace gas boilers.

The Labour party's Ed Miliband responded to the strategy, saying the "plans falls short on delivery" adding "we've waited months for a heat and buildings strategy, it's a massive let-down".

Prof Lord Nicholas Stern, Chair of LSE's Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, said the plan will require "strong investment and innovation" and would generate a "new and attractive form of growth". But he warned that low-income households will need support.

And Prof Dan Lunt, Professor of Climate Science at University of Bristol, called the strategy's approach to flying weak and unambitious. 

Environmental group Friends of the Earth criticised the strategy as "riddled with holes and omissions".

"The rapid electrification of new vehicles is certainly welcome, but many of the carbon savings this could bring will be wiped out by the government's £27 billion road programme," it said.