31 Members of Parliament have written to Claire Perry, the climate Minister, calling for the UK’s carbon budget to be reset to avoid dangerous climate change.

The letter was coordinated by EJF and calls on the climate Minister to re-set the UK’s carbon budgets now. The letter highlights the need to achieve zero carbon before 2050 if we are to limit global warming to 1.5C.

The UK made a commitment to 1.5C by signing the Paris Agreement, yet has not taken sufficient action to reduce the UK’s carbon emissions to reach this goal. Last week’s IPCC report warned that even half a degree more would have unthinkable consequences.

EJF Director, Juliette Williams, said:

“The dangers to people and the environment of exceeding 1.5C have been laid out clearly. Governments have a duty to listen to the science and take urgent action to reduce emissions.

“We must aim for zero carbon before 2050 to avoid the most dangerous impacts of global warming.”

The Paris Agreement recognises that climate change is a grave and urgent threat to humanity, and that limiting temperature increases to 1.5 degrees would help to avoid its most dangerous impacts. The UK’s carbon budgets currently aim to cut emissions by just 80% by 2050, rather than reaching zero-emissions before this point.

The IPCC report finds that, while warming of 1.5C will in itself bring a range of dangerous impacts, keeping temperature increases within this limit would reduce impacts including the number of people displaced. Keeping warming within 1.5C would save millions more people from suffering the severest consequences of climate change.

EJF’s climate campaign

• EJF calls on all countries to rapidly and fully implement the Paris Agreement, and reduce carbon emissions sufficiently to stay within 1.5 degrees.
• EJF calls on governments to recognise climate refugees and support a new legal agreement to guarantee their rights.

The letter was signed by the following MPs: Tonia Antoniazzi, Tom Brake, Douglas Chapman, Angela Crawley, Mary Creagh, Alex Cunningham, Janet Daby, Gearing Davies, Paul Farrelly, Tim Farron, Vicky Foxcroft, Roger Godsiff, Helen Hayes, Wera Hothouse, Ben Lake, Karen Lee, Clive Lewis, Caroline Lucas, Rachael Maskell, Kerry McCarthy, Anna McMorrin, John McNally, Lloyd Russell-Moyle, Liz Saville-Roberts, Virendra Sharma, Alex Sobel, Jo Swinson, Catherine West, Matt Western, Chris Williamson, Daniel Zeichner