Britain to become first G7 country with net zero emissions target

FILE PHOTO: A commuter walks along Waterloo Bridge, which is being blocked by climate change activists, during the Extinction Rebellion protest in London, Britain April 17, 2019. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain has announced it will enshrine a new commitment to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 into law, marking a first among G7 nations facing increasingly severe impacts from the climate crisis.

With global carbon emissions at record highs despite decades of talks aimed at bringing them within safe limits, outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May said the goal was ambitious but essential for protecting Earth's future.