Carbon Budgets
A carbon budget places a restriction on the total amount of greenhouse gases the UK can emit over a 5-year period. The UK is the first country to set legally binding carbon budgets.
Under a system of carbon budgets, every tonne of greenhouse gases emitted between now and 2050 will count. Where emissions rise in one sector, the UK will have to achieve corresponding falls in another.
1. Setting of the first to third carbon budget
Final statement for the first carbon budget period
Climate Change Act 2008 (2020 Target, Credit Limit and Definitions) Order 2009
2. Setting of the second carbon budget credit limit
Climate Change Act 2008 (Credit Limit) Order 2011
3. Setting of the third carbon budget credit limit
Climate Change Act 2008 (Credit Limit) Order 2016
4. Setting of the fourth carbon budget (2023-2027)
5. Setting of the fifth carbon budget (2028-2032)
The government has agreed with the Committee on Climate Change and set the fifth budgetary period covering 2028 to 2032 at 1,725 MtCO2e.
6. Setting of the sixth carbon budget (2033-2037)
The government has set the sixth carbon budget at 965 MtCO2e, in line with the level advised by the Committee on Climate Change.
Policies and proposals to meet carbon budgets
In 2011, the government set out scenarios on how it is going to meet the first four carbon budgets from 2008-2027.
Related information
Updates to this page
Last updated 13 July 2021 + show all updates
-
Government has set the sixth carbon budget at 965 MtCO2e, in line with the level advised by the Committee on Climate Change.
-
Sixth carbon budget data and link to legislation added.
-
Fifth Carbon Budget has now become law. Page updated.
-
First published.