The UK has failed to get on course to meet even its own net zero carbon ambitions by 2050 and restore nature on what should have been the start of the global COP26 climate gathering in Glasgow.

Boris Johnson’s Tory government has yet to deliver the scale of investment needed to lead the world towards a low carbon future, the influential IPPR think tank has warned. The think tank argues the government has an opportunity to turn this around and show global leadership by setting out truly ambitious policy and investment commitments in its upcoming 10-point plan.

Luke Murphy, the associate director of IPPR , said: “In announcing the government’s ten-point plan, the Prime Minister must significantly raise both the UK’s ambitions and targets on climate and nature, and radically scale-up the policies and investments needed to achieve them.

“Such ambition is not only good for the climate and nature but can be a huge driver of job creation, new industries and businesses right across the country.

He added: “As the host of COP26 in 2021, the UK can use its domestic policy ambition to help inspire the rest of world and leverage greater ambition and action from other developed countries.

“As the fifth-largest contributor to cumulative global greenhouse gas emissions and given its unsustainable global environmental footprint, the UK also has a responsibility to take bolder action.”

The IPPR new analysis reveals that over the course of this Parliament the government has committed to investing just 12 per cent of what is needed to meet their net zero emissions target.

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