Keir Starmer announces new NDC at COP29: comment

“The new UK government was elected on promises of stronger climate action at home, and climate leadership on the world stage. Today’s NDC announcement of 81% emissions reduction by 2035 represents both - setting out bolder ambition early, along with other leading nations, and making new announcements at home which will help deliver in a way that works best for the British people. 
 
“The Prime Minister was one of around 80 world leaders speaking at COP in Baku this week, and with so many of these leaders coming from poorer nations in the frontline of climate change impacts, his is a powerful pledge from a major economy with significant historical emissions.
 
“In the hottest year humans have yet experienced, and with the world still on track for incredibly dangerous levels of global temperature rises, the job at UN climate talks is more important than ever.  COP29 in Baku needs to agree on raising levels of finance for nations on the frontline of climate change to develop sustainably, and to adapt to worsening climate impacts. But it also needs leaders to start to build ambition towards the higher pledges needed ahead of COP30 next year.”
 
The Prime Minister’s announcement comes as new poll from YouGov [2] shows three-quarters (75%) of MPs believe the UK should be one of the most ambitious countries in the world when it comes to addressing climate change.
 
The results are a significant increase on those prior to the general election when MPs were polled in April, when just over half (51%) thought the UK should be one of the most ambitious countries in the world [3].
 
Alasdair Johnstone from ECIU said: “There has in the past been a clear recognition around the world that the UK has been a leader on tackling climate change. The new Parliament, being ‘greener’ than its predecessor, could also be a reflection that public support for action to tackle climate change has been consistent over the past few years despite different rhetoric from Government.

“The new Government, elected on stronger climate change policy commitments, brings with it a much bigger majority of MPs who recognise the importance of that climate leadership, reflecting the fact that this is an issue that genuinely matters to voters.”

The poll, for the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) in collaboration with Climate Barometer [4] comes as the Prime Minister address the UN Climate Conference, COP29, in Baku.