--- description: U.K.'s parliament declared an environment and climate emergency, one of the key demands of the environmental group Extinction Rebellion title: The U.K. Has Officially Declared a 'Climate Emergency' image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7c928e742460d6d5/698949538fd2ee4dbf35e381/london-climate-emergency.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [climate change](/tag/climate-change/) ## climate change Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # The U.K. Has Officially Declared a Climate 'Emergency' by [Amy Gunia](/author/amy-gunia/) ## Amy Gunia Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Gunia was a reporter for TIME based in Hong Kong. May 2, 2019 4:40 AM CUT  Protesters hold placards during a Climate emergency protest in London, England on May 01, 2019. Protesters hold placards during a Climate emergency protest in London, England on May 01, 2019.John Keeble—Getty Images by [Amy Gunia](/author/amy-gunia/) ## Amy Gunia Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Gunia was a reporter for TIME based in Hong Kong. May 2, 2019 4:40 AM CUT The U.K. parliament declared an [environment and climate emergency](https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-48126677 "undefined") on Wednesday. Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader who put the motion forward, called the move “a huge step forward,” according to the BBC. “This can set off a wave of action from parliaments and governments around the globe.” The motion asks the U.K. government to achieve net-zero emissions before 2050\. It also calls for government officials to come up with proposals on how to fix the U.K.’s natural environment and deliver a “zero waste economy” within the next 6 months, according to the BBC. The state of emergency was one of the key demands of the environmental group Extinction Rebellion, which led extensive climate protests in London in April. The protests – which were joined by celebrities like [Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson](http://time.com/5574223/climate-change-protesters-waterloo-bridge/ "undefined") and teenage climate activist [Greta Thunberg](http://time.com/collection/100-most-influential-people-2019/5567758/greta-thunberg/ "undefined") – paralyzed parts of London. **Read More:** [_Climate Protesters Again March in London as Arrests Hit 710_](http://time.com/5574657/climate-protests-london-710-arrests/ "undefined") Extinction Rebellion reacted to the news on Twitter, saying “this has seen them start to [#TellTheTruth.](https://twitter.com/ExtinctionR/status/1123653533964877826 "undefined")” Several U.K. cities, including London and Manchester, and Scotland and Wales have already declared climate emergencies. Although there is no single agreed definition for a climate emergency, the BBC reports that areas are working on different plans to promote carbon neutrality. A 2018 report from the U.N.’s [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change](http://time.com/5418134/ipcc-climate-change-report-2030-crisis/ "undefined") stated that greenhouse gas emissions would have to be lowered to net zero by 2050 to limit global warming to 1.5ºC. The report urged governments to act quickly to avert disaster. “We pledge to work as closely as possible with countries that are serious about ending the climate catastrophe and make clear to U.S. President Donald Trump that he cannot ignore international agreements and action on the climate crisis,” Corbyn said, according to the BBC. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5581615/uk-declares-climate-emergency/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5581615/uk-declares-climate-emergency/"},"headline":"The U.K. Has Officially Declared a Climate 'Emergency'","datePublished":"2019-05-02T04:40:14.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T23:25:55.726Z","description":"The motion seeks to achieve net-zero emissions before 2050","url":"https://time.com/5581615/uk-declares-climate-emergency/","keywords":["climate change","onetime","overnight"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7c928e742460d6d5/698949538fd2ee4dbf35e381/london-climate-emergency.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Amy Gunia","jobTitle":"Gunia was a reporter for TIME based in Hong Kong.","url":"https://time.com/author/amy-gunia/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7c928e742460d6d5/698949538fd2ee4dbf35e381/london-climate-emergency.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Climate Emergency Protest In Westminster","caption":"Climate Emergency Protest In Westminster","creditText":"John Keeble—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/climate-change/","name":"climate change"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5581615/uk-declares-climate-emergency/","name":"The U.K. Has Officially Declared a Climate 'Emergency'"}}]}] ```