This week marks a historic breakthrough in climate change legislation, with the passing of the Climate Change Bill in the House of Commons. It is great news that the UK is now committed to a drastic reduction of 80% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The bill is expected to become law before the end of the year, and it will be legally binding for future administrations to achieve this target.

The target of 80% is much more ambitious than the 60% that was discussed in previous versions of the Bill. The new Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Ed Milliband, has shown vision and boldness by adopting recommendations from climate change scientists (such as Lord Turner's Climate Change Committee).

Britain now needs to engage with its European partners to achieve similar targets across the EU. This Bill must be an example for other countries to follow, otherwise its purpose will be futile. Climate change is blind to countries and boundaries, it is a global issue and as such we must engage with all countries to participate in achieving the same goals. Ultimately the UN must be the right forum to tackle this global issue. A partnership where one saves for a rainy day and the other is gambling it all away is doomed to failure.

The successor of the Kyoto protocol ought to be the roadmap for greenhouse emission cuts. However, it is likely to disappoint and soon become obsolete because in all likelihood it will not be bold enough. The climate is now right for national governments to break new ground, show vision and leadership and set an example to others by passing ambitious legislation.

Emission cuts are only part of the picture. They are an integral part of the mitigation model to combat climate change. Whilst we must work towards a low-carbon economy, global warming can only stop if the excess concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is removed. Even in the hypothetical case that our greenhouse gas emissions were miraculously slashed to zero today and our  societies were able to function with a zero carbon footprint, our planet will still continue to steadily warm up due to the excess concentration of CO2 (see our article http://www.carbonica.org/carbon-footprint/global-warming.aspx). But we are not even anywhere near this (a completely enviable situation compared to where we arenow), and we think that emission cuts, however dramatic, will do the job. They will not.

Carbon capture is the second vital ingredient of any mitigation model. Emission cuts and carbon capture must go hand in hand and legislation needs to reflect this if its goal is to achieve a sustainable future.