Carbon emission target to increase to 80% by 2050

The government has increased the target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions from 60% to 80% by 2050.

The new Department of Climate Change and Energy secretary Ed Miliband has told the House of Commons the target will be changed in the Climate Change Bill, making it legally binding.

He told ministers: “The government accepts all of the recommendations of the Committee on Climate Change.

“We will amend the Climate Change Bill to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 and that target will be binding in law.”

In its latest report on low carbon homes, the UK Green Building Council advocated the target increase, but also suggested interim targets be set every five years towards 2050.

The council said this would help create a market for low energy homes that would allow the industry to invest and plan ahead to deliver the correct technology.

Dr Andrew Cripps, sustainability expert at engineering firm Buro Happold, said setting the target for 2050 would allow the industry to test and implement “more radical” solutions than a shorter time frame would have allowed.

He said the construction industry now had to integrate with the power sector to encourage greater use of combined heat and power technologies.

“We must also consider the building materials side of construction, which historically has been a small proportion of total carbon emissions, but will be increasingly significant as the in-use energy use declines,” Dr Cripps said.

“Major efforts will be needed to lower the carbon content of all materials through process efficiencies, and through re-use and recycling.”