The Climate Change Act (2008) made the UK the first country to establish a long-term legally binding framework to cut carbon emissions. It contains a target requiring emissions reductions to Net Zero by 2050. The Act puts in place a rolling cycle of statutory national risk assessments and a resulting Adaptation Programme that must address the risks. Few other countries have a statutory adaptation process of this kind. The Act has cemented the UK’s position as an international leader in tackling climate change. Since it has been put into law, other countries have also introduced their own legislation, and many have based it on the UK’s Climate Change Act (e.g. Denmark, France, Mexico, Sweden, New Zealand).
How the Climate Change Act works
Through the Climate Change Act, the UK government has set a target to significantly reduce UK greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and a path to get there. The Act also established the Climate Change Committee (CCC) to ensure that emissions targets are evidence-based and independently assessed. In addition, the Act requires the Government to assess the risks from climate change for the UK, and to adapt to them. The CCC’s Adaptation Committee advises on these climate change risks and assesses progress towards tackling them.
The 2050 target
The Climate Change Act commits the UK government by law to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 100% of 1990 levels (Net Zero) by 2050. This includes reducing emissions from the devolved administrations (Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales). The 100% target was based on advice from the CCC’s 2019 report, ‘Net Zero – The UK’s contribution to stopping global warming’.
The path to 2050: ‘carbon budgets’
The Climate Change Act requires the government to set legally-binding ‘carbon budgets’ to act as stepping stones towards the 2050 target. A carbon budget is a cap on the amount of greenhouse gases emitted in the UK over a five-year period. Budgets must be set at least 12 years in advance to allow policy-makers, businesses and individuals enough time to prepare. The CCC advises on the appropriate level of each carbon budget. The budgets are designed to reflect a cost-effective way of achieving the UK’s long-term climate change objectives. Once a carbon budget has been set, the Climate Change Act places an obligation on the Government to prepare policies to ensure the budget is met.
Six carbon budgets have been put into law and run up to 2037. The UK is currently in the Fourth Carbon Budget period (2023 to 2027). Our mitigation Monitoring Framework sets out our approach for assessing progress against these targets. Refer to our latest progress report for our full assessment.
| Budget | Carbon budget level | Reduction below 1990 levels | Assessment |
| First Carbon Budget (2008 to 2012) | 3,018 MtCO2e | 26% | Yes, this has been met. |
| Second Carbon Budget (2013 to 2017) | 2,782 MtCO2e | 32% | Yes, this has been met. |
| Third Carbon Budget (2018 to 2022) | 2,544 MtCO2e | 38% | Yes, this has been met. |
| Fourth Carbon Budget (2023 to 2027) | 1,950 MtCO2e | 52% | To be assessed in our 2029 Progress Report |
| Fifth Carbon Budget (2028 to 2032) | 1,725 MtCO2e | 58% | To be assessed in our 2034 Progress Report |
| Nationally Determined Contribution (2030) | – | 68% | – |
| Sixth Carbon Budget (2033 to 2037)* | 965 MtCO2e | 78% | To be assessed in our 2039 Progress Report |
| Nationally Determined Contribution (2035) | – | 81% | – |
| Seventh Carbon Budget (2038 to 2042)* | To be set in 2025 | – | To be assessed in our 2044 Progress Report |
| Net Zero target | Set in 2019 | At least 100% by 2050 | – |
The Climate Change Risk Assessment and National Adaptation Programme
The Act sets out two key statutory roles for the Committee on adaptation – to give advice to Government on climate risks for the UK, and to evaluate progress towards delivering the Government’s National Adaptation Programme (England only).
The Climate Change Act requires the UK Government to produce a UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) every five years. The CCRA assesses current and future risks from climate change. In response to the CCRA, the Climate Change Act also requires the UK government to produce a National Adaptation Programme (NAP). The NAP covers England, while the devolved administrations produce their own programmes and policies. The Act also gives powers to the UK Government to require certain organisations to report on how they are adapting to climate change. This is called the Adaptation Reporting Power.
The Committee reports every two years on progress in adapting to climate change in England. The most recent progress report in 2023 sets out the scale of the challenge to ramp up planning and delivery to adapt to climate change impacts.
Who is responsible for climate change policies?
Tackling the causes of climate change, and adapting to its impacts, touches on all aspects of the economy. It is for all government departments to include climate change in its thinking when making policy decisions. The two main UK government departments responsible for climate change are:
- Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) – leading on policy for reducing emissions (mitigation) and is responsible for ensuring secure energy and promoting action on climate change in the UK and internationally.
- Department for Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) – leading on domestic adaptation policy (adaptation) and is responsible for developing the National Adaptation Programme to address the risks set out in the most recent UK Climate Change Risk Assessment.
The governments and assemblies of the devolved administrations (Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales) set out climate change policy for their devolved area and help to implement UK-wide policies. As well as being covered by the Climate Change Act, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales and have separate climate change policies. For example:
- Northern Ireland implemented the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) in 2022. This Act sets a legally binding target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. It also includes interim targets of a 48% reduction by 2030 and requires the establishment of carbon budgets.
- The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 commits Scotland to a Net Zero target of 2045. This includes a 75% by 2030 and 90% by 2040 against the baseline. There is also a requirement to produce a Scottish Climate Change Adaptation Programme.
- Wales operates under the Environment (Wales) Act 2016, which mandates the Welsh Government to set carbon budgets and targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Act aims for net zero emissions by 2050, with interim targets of a 63% reduction by 2030 and an 89% reduction by 2040.
