Allegra Stratton says Government’s 2050 net zero target is ‘too far away’

Allegra Stratton has said that the Government’s target of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050 is “too far away” and more needs to be done to tackle climate change.

Boris Johnson’s spokeswoman for the COP26 said that the "science is clear" and the UK must change its carbon emission output "right now".

She told BBC Radio 4’s The World This Weekend: “Every part of society is moving in tandem towards this net zero in 2050… but let's be honest, that's too far away.”

She went on to tell the Daily Telegraph: “In recognition of 2050 being some way in the future, Parliament has voted into law nearer-term goals to ensure carbon emissions are being reduced in a cost-effective way.

“MPs voted into law the nearer term goal to reduce carbon emissions by 78% by 2035 and the Government has said we must also reduce carbon emissions by at least 68% by 2030.

“Net zero by 2050 is the ultimate goal, but the Paris agreement signed by all countries in 2015 requires nations to come to COP26 with targets to bring down their emissions this decade.

“If we are going to keep global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees – keep 1.5 alive – we must reach net zero by 2050 and act this decade.”

Her comments come just days after she suggested that people should join the Green Party if they want to help tackle climate change.

Stratton told the Independent last week: “When people say to me, ‘What can they do?’, they can do many things, they can join Greenpeace, they can join the Green Party, they can join the Tory Party.”

The target to reduce carbon emissions was first outlined in 2008 under the Climate Change Act, which had a goal to cut down emissions by 80%.

That was lowered further to zero emissions in 2019 but has increasingly come under scrutiny in recent months, with worries about the costs mounting.

The Independent Office For Budget Responsibility calculated the cost of changing buildings to greener alternatives at £400billion, vehicles at £330billion, power generation at £500billion and a further £46billion for industry.

A COP26 conference is due to take place in Glasgow from October 31st to November 12th.