Is enough being done to meet the UK Government’s carbon-neutral target?

PUBLISHED: 14:48 17 September 2019

Exmouth Journal guest columnist Sarah Allen. Ref exe 22 18TI 4416. Picture: Terry Ife



Guest columnist Sarah Allen tells us why she joined the Extinction Rebellion procession along Exmouth beach last month.

East Devon aims to be carbon-neutral by 2040. The UK government's target is net-zero by 2050.

Is this actually quick enough?

The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) says that human activities are estimated to have caused 1ºC warming above pre-industrial levels already and it is likely to reach 1.5ºC between 2030 and 2052 if it continues at the current rate.

This doesn't sound much but climate-related risks are higher for a global warming of 1.5ºC.

However, these risks are lower than at 2ºC.

Any global warming (even if it's just half a degree more) is projected to affect human health with primarily negative consequences.

To limit warming to 1.5ºC CO2 emissions need to decline and reach net zero by 2050.

This can only be achieved if global CO2 emissions start to decline well before 2030.

This is why you might have heard people say we have 12 years left to limit climate change (this IPCC report was published in 2018).

So although the targets seem to be in line with the science, they cannot be achieved without immediate action.

Have you noticed a massive change that reflects the fact that nearly a year has gone by since the publication of this report?

Has a twelfth of the work been done?

We have 11 years left and I'm really not convinced councils and the government are working at a fast enough pace.

So this is why I proudly joined the Extinction Rebellion procession along Exmouth beach at the end of last month.

To be honest, I'm scared. I'm scared about the future for my own children but I also want a better, safer world for everyone's children.

Find out more and how you can respond to the climate crisis at:


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