Britain to cut carbon emissions in half despite opposition

Britain’s government said it will stick with its goal to cut carbon emissions 50 percent by 2027 from 1990 levels despite fierce political pushback.

By setting the target so high, Britain hopes to put the country on track towards cutting emissions 80 percent from 1990 levels by the middle of the century, Reuters reports.

{mosads}”Retaining the budget at its existing level provides certainty for businesses and investors by demonstrating government’s commitment to our long-term decarbonisation goals,” Ed Davey, Britain’s secretary of state for energy and climate change, said in a statement on Tuesday.

The targets have been a subject of debate among politicians. Opponents called for a weaker emissions target for the period between 2023 and 2027 to protect the economy.

Britain originally set its target, or carbon budgets for set periods, in 2011, but decided to determine whether the budget should be revised to reflect progress in 2014.

Davey said any revisions to the targets at this this point in time would be “premature” especially as the European Union is in negotiations to set a strict reduction target.