Geoffrey Cox QC, Member of Parliament for Torridge and West Devon, has welcomed the news over the weekend that the UK has gone a record 256 hours – and counting – without coal-powered energy.
This achievement is another step towards phasing coal entirely from our power system by 2025 as our renewable sector goes from strength to strength. Earlier this month we exceeded the eight-day record for the number of successive hours without using coal to generate power, and we have already reached the milestone this year of 1,000 hours without using coal to power our homes and industry.
Since 1990, the UK has cut emissions by more than 40 per cent while growing the economy by more than two thirds, the best performance on a per person basis than any other G7 nation.
To continue this momentum, the Government published the Clean Growth Strategy in 2017, setting out its plans for meeting the UK's carbon targets and the ambition to legislate for a net zero emissions target. This has been boosted by significant innovation funding made available through the Industrial Strategy.
At the same time, the ambitious 25 Year Environment Plan outlines the Government's commitment to supporting and protecting the world's most biodiverse forests, supporting sustainable agriculture and enhancing sustainability, and supporting zero-deforestation supply chains
Geoffrey Cox said: “Reducing emissions is one way of ensuring that we will leave our planet in a better state for the next generation, and the reduction of coal-powered energy is one of the key ways to achieve this.
“I am proud of the UK's world-leading role in tackling climate change and the transition to Clean Growth, with the UK being the first country to introduce legally binding long-term emissions targets under the landmark Climate Change Act in 2008.
“We must build on our successes to date, which is why the Government has asked the Committee on Climate Change to advise on achieving zero emissions as soon as possible.”
