This article is more than 1 month old There are ambitious new goals in the US and UK. But governments also need to decarbonise the economy and rethink how itâs planned âIn 2018, the increase in fossil fuel production was more than three times higher than in renewables.â A windfarm in France. Photograph: Pascal Rossignol/Reuters âIn 2018, the increase in fossil fuel production was more than three times higher than in renewables.â A windfarm in France. Photograph: Pascal Rossignol/Reuters Fri 30 Apr 2021 06.00 EDT Last modified on Fri 30 Apr 2021 11.58 EDT Last week was a critical time in the global response to the climate emergency: the US vowed to cut its emissions by at least 50% by 2030, while the UK government committed to reducing emissions by 78% by 2035, relative to a 1990 baseline. Both announcements were important steps that reflected the significance of one particular tool in climate governance: the target. From the legally binding targets in the UKâs Climate Change Act (2008) to those of the 2015 Paris agreement, targets define a sense of direction and signpost of ambition. Alone, however, targets are not enough. We need more than just targets to transition to a post-carbon future. We need planning.