
The UK has set a target to meet net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. This means that 25 years from now, any remaining emissions will have to be offset by carbon removals from the atmosphere. While this legally binding target was set by the UK government in Westminster, the actual delivery of a lot of the needed emissions reductions and carbon removals will be overseen by the governments of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Each of these have very different economies, land uses and opportunities for removing carbon. This means that getting to net zero could look very different in each of the countries that make up the UK.
The Climate Change Committee (CCC), which advises the government on how to meet carbon reduction targets, suggests that the main sectors which will still have significant emissions by 2050 will be industry, agriculture and aviation. Aviation has the most extreme difference between the nations as airports in England are used as a hub for international travel: around 90% of passengers in the UK pass through an airport in England. This means that the focus of decarbonisation in the other countries of the UK will focus more on industry and agriculture.
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