UK Carbon Budgets Explained: Legal Emissions Caps from 2008 to 2042 | carboncredit.io

The UK sets carbon budgets as legally binding five-year caps on total emissions, gradually reducing them to reach net zero by 2050. The seventh carbon budget (CB7), covering 2037 to 2042, was set in June 2026 at 535 MtCO2e, an 87% reduction from 1990 levels. The UK has met its first three budgets and is on track for the fourth, with the Climate Change Committee monitoring progress. Future budgets require deeper cuts beyond energy supply, focusing on electrification across transport, buildings, and industry. CB6, covering 2033 to 2037, includes international aviation and shipping for the first time. The government must publish updated delivery plans to stay on track, as most reductions so far came from the power sector.