New statistics show UK’s race to net zero is only half completed

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) last week released data showing the UK’s progress towards net zero. The provisional estimates show that emissions have been reduced by 53% between 1990 and 2023, a decrease in 5% from the previous year’s statistics.  

Chris Friedler, Policy Manager at the ADE, said:

The original target of the Climate Change Act was a 60% cut in emissions by 2050. In 2023, emissions were within short distance of this, at a truly world leading 53%. At the time, this would have been considered wildly ambitious, and just as today’s Net Zero target and its interim goals are claimed by some to be impossible or radically difficult to achieve, it’s worth remembering that where we are now was once thought of in much the same way. 

The provisional emissions statistics for 2023 are a dramatic reminder that tackling climate change can be a runaway success once thought impossible, but still a powerful reminder of how far we have to go. The 53% is important not only to show past progress, but should give confidence to the future. The UK’s dash to net zero is a major source of national pride at home and around the world – it will only remain so if we finish the other half of the race.