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U.K. Adopts Law for Net Zero Fossil Fuel Pollution by 2050

British Parliament’s lower chamber approved a move to toughen targets on fossil fuel pollution.

U.K. Adopts Law for Net Zero Fossil Fuel Pollution by 2050
A pedestrian passes the cooling towers at Uniper SE’s coal-fired power station in Ratcliffe-on-Soar, U.K. (Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg)  

(Bloomberg) -- The lower chamber of Britain’s Parliament approved a move to toughen targets on fossil fuel pollution, setting a goal of reaching a level of net zero by 2050.

The House of Commons agreed without a vote Monday to amend the existing law. If the upper House of Lords agrees to do the same on June 26, Britain will become the first major economy to pass a law requiring it to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the point where it makes no net contribution to rising global temperatures.

The move will give Prime Minister Theresa May something to point to as a legacy from her troubled three years in office. While Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond raised concern about the costs of the new goal, May has said cutting pollution doesn’t have to harm economic growth. She said she was inspired to adopt the goal after seeing retreating glaciers while holidaying in the Swiss Alps.

Britain has slashed carbon dioxide output 44% since 1990 to the lowest levels since the 1890s, according to data from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Labour economic spokesman John McDonnell has said he will explore bringing forward the target date if Labour wins power. He’s also pledged to close a loophole in the current law so as to include emissions that are “imported” via goods manufactured in other countries, such as China.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jessica Shankleman in London at jshankleman@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Robert Hutton, Robert Jameson

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