UK plots an accounting trick to hit its climate goals

LONDON — Britain’s making progress on slashing its carbon emissions — so now, it wants to slack off a little.

Thanks in no small part to Covid-19, the U.K. cut emissions by more than it was legally required to in the last five year-round.

Now, U.K. government officials are actively looking at “carrying forward” these surplus emissions to the next five-year budget period.

It’s an accounting trick that would effectively give the U.K. headroom to pollute more in the years ahead without breaching its own rules.