Updated: Osborne vows UK emissions cuts will not lead Europe

James Murray
clock • 5 min read

Chancellor hints he could water down UK’s ambitious carbon targets

George Osborne has vowed the UK will not lead the rest of Europe in its efforts to cut carbon emissions, raising the prospect that the country's carbon targets could be watered down if the EU does not...

To continue reading this article...

Join BusinessGreen

In just a few clicks you can start your free BusinessGreen Lite membership for 12 months, providing you access to:

  • Three complimentary articles per month covering the latest real-time news, analysis, and opinion from Europe’s leading source of information on the Green economy and business
  • Receive important and breaking news stories via our daily news alert
  • Our weekly newsletter with the best of the week’s green business news and analysis

Join now

 

Already a BusinessGreen member?

Login

James Murray
Author spotlight

James Murray

View profile
More from James Murray

Could Europe's renewables drive combat those hostile actors working to 'weaponise' energy supplies?

Beyond the Davos drama we need to actually work on making the world better

More on Politics

'A race to the bottom': US formally exits Paris Agreement
Politics

'A race to the bottom': US formally exits Paris Agreement

A year on from President Trump's executive order instructing the US to quit the international climate accord, today will see the country officially quit the treaty for a second time

James Murray
James Murray
clock 27 January 2026 • 5 min read
Environment issues have never been so fiercely debated in a Welsh election campaign as they will be in 2026
Politics

Environment issues have never been so fiercely debated in a Welsh election campaign as they will be in 2026

Polls suggest the May elections will result in major changes in the Senedd - and environmental issues will be to the fore in what could prove to be an increasingly divisive campaign

Michael Woods, Aberystwyth University - The Conversation
clock 23 January 2026 • 5 min read
Trump attacks Europe's wind farms, demands 'immediate negotiations' to acquire Greenland
Politics

Trump attacks Europe's wind farms, demands 'immediate negotiations' to acquire Greenland

In a characteristically rambling speech to Davos Summit, US President threatens European leaders and makes baseless accusations China is erecting fake wind farms

James Murray
James Murray
clock 21 January 2026 • 6 min read