The Committee on Climate Change, the UK and Devolved Government’s independent advisory group on climate change has released a report recommends a new emissions target for the UK: net-zero greenhouse gases by 2050 (2045 in Scotland and 95% by 2050 in Wales).   The report urges far greater urgency and stresses than actions rather than policies and encouraging words will be needed to achieve the recommendations if they are adopted.

The report lays out the scientific evidence underpinning the recommendations and details a range of actions that will be needed to achieve these, including the earlier implementation of existing targets.  For example, setting the target for banning the sale of new fossil fuelled cars at 2035 rather than 2040 as already announced by the Westminster Government.

There are a number of areas which will impact directly on the strategic planning for both domestic and international inbound and out bound tourism, in particular, around transport including recommendations to reduce air travel (distances and journeys) and the implied potential infrastructure requirement to support a new generation  of vehicles (in all probability, according to the report at least, electrically powered).

Release on 2 May 2019 it has attracted wide media coverage and high level political interests and it is likely to influence debate and policy and strategy direction for some time to come.

For anyone wishing to see the full report itself (not a short or particularly easy read) can accesses it at: 2019 Net Zero The UKs contribution to stopping global warming

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