UK ahead of EU in green transition, says British ambassador

ISTANBUL

Britain is ahead of the EU in making a transition to a green economy, according to the UK's ambassador in Turkey.

"I'm rather hoping the European Union is going to catch up with the UK, to be honest," Dominick Chilcott said Tuesday during a panel at the 12th Bosphorus Summit in Istanbul, Turkey’s commercial hub.

He said the UK has cut emissions faster than any other G20 country, adding that as of 2019 the country had cut its emissions by 44% from 1990 levels while growing its economy by 78%.

The EU and the UK have both set net-zero emission targets for 2050, he said.

"But our 2030 target is for a 68% reduction in emissions, which is more ambitious than the EU's,” he said. “We have a 2035 target, which is for a figure of 78%.”

He explained that the UK government also committed itself to stop burning coal to generate electricity by 2024.

"In less than three years' time, we will phase out coal completely for electricity, which is again, it's where (the UK) is ahead of where the EU is," he said, adding that Britain will also ban the sale of cars that use petrol and diesel starting in 2030.

He also said at the climate summit in Glasgow this October and November, every country was able to agree to the climate compact in the end.

The agreement is less than what was wanted but it “shifted the dial quite a long way in the right direction,” he said.

Before the Glasgow COP26 summit, only 30% of global GDP belonged to countries who have set a net-zero target for emissions, he stressed, saying that figure is now 90%.

There has been a lot of progress in the last year, but making promises is one thing while fulfilling them is much harder, he said.

Bosphorus Summit

The 12th Bosphorus Summit, an annual international economic event, kicked off on Monday.

The two-day event, organized by the International Cooperation Platform (ICP), is being held under the theme “Challenges for a Better World,” with top officials, experts, and academics in attendance.

The summit is addressing various topics including foreign economic relations, Islamic finance, innovation, and sustainability in aviation.

Cyber security, agriculture, green energy, climate change, and displaced people are also being discussed.