Cut down on meat and dairy! Ed Miliband to impose stringent new climate targets despite net zero backlash

By CLAIRE ELLICOTT, WHITEHALL EDITOR Published: 11:56, 2 June 2026 | Updated: 11:58, 2 June 2026 Families will have to cut back on meat and dairy to meet stringent new climate targets imposed by Ed Miliband. The Energy Secretary has signed up to a legally binding goal to cut the UK’s carbon emissions by 87per cent by 2040. To meet the goal, households will need to replace boilers with heat pumps, shift to electric cars and eat 25per cent less meat and a fifth less dairy. The climate target – recommended by Government advisers the Climate Change Committee (CCC) – is one of the world’s most ambitious. Mr Miliband accepted it despite Britain being responsible for less than one per cent of global greenhouse emissions. The agreement also comes despite a major backlash to net zero policies by the Tories and Reform UK who have promised to abolish targets if they win power. The CCC said more Britons can expect to drive electric cars and use heat pumps which they say would result on lower energy bills. While it said people would need to reduce meat and dairy, it said that they will still be able to fly at close to today’s levels. Families will have to cut back on meat and dairy to meet stringent new climate targets imposed by Ed Miliband  More trees would have to be planted to reduce gardens, while petrol lawn mowers would have to be replaced with battery-powered models, it added. The pledge to reduce greenhouse gases by 87per cent on 1990 levels is seen as vital to reaching net zero by 2050 – a target the Tories and Reform have pledged to scrap. But a Labour source told the Times: ‘This is a fight we’re happy to have, and the politics is strong for Labour, especially with others really rowing back. ‘Business wants certainty, public polling remains strong on climate action, and long-term benefits outweigh any costs. ‘Fundamentally, this is about energy security, investment and Britain’s future competitiveness.’ The CCC’s so-called seventh carbon budget sets a legally binding cap on the maximum level of emissions for a period of five years. While its advice has never been rejected before, it comes at a precarious time with even Tony Blair’s think tank calling for a rethink as energy prices spiral. Britain has been badly impacted by wars in Ukraine and Iran due to its reliance on global fossil fuel markets. It also comes as pressure grows for him to grant permission to approve on the Jackdaw and Rosebank North Sea oil and gas fields. But Mr Miliband said the drive for clean homegrown power was the ‘only way’ to protect family and business finances. He accused opponents of sticking their heads in the sand about climate breakdown and its impact on future generations. ‘Some people want to stick their heads in the sand and let our children face the consequences of climate breakdown – but this government believes in the timeless British value of protecting our country for generations to come,’ he said. Legislation is expected to be laid imminently and a parliamentary vote is due to be held before the end of June. Shadow energy secretary Claire Countino said that his targets would make households ‘weaker, poorer’ and increase bills. ‘The fact that in the dying days of this Labour government they will attempt to force through a new Net Zero target that will make us weaker, poorer and send everyone's energy bills even higher shows that they are not putting the national interest first,’ she said. ‘We have had a former Prime Minister and current leadership contender say we need to look again at what our Net Zero targets are doing to the economy and we need to drill in the North Sea. ‘The best thing for our economy, for growth, and for cutting emissions, is to make electricity cheap. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.