November 27, 2008 View all news The GuardianThe UK was set to make history last night when the climate change bill received royal assent and brought into law the world's first legally binding targets for a nation to cut its greenhouse gas emissions.This and future governments will be committed to cutting emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases by 80% by 2050. Progress towards this target will be laid out and monitored by a new independent climate change committee, which on Monday will recommend the first three five-year "budgets".The committee will not be able to hold ministers to account if they miss the targets, but will make an annual report to parliament on progress towards the budgets. Other countries have announced similar or deeper emissions cuts, but none have committed them selves by law. Read More Read about our campaign for an Irish Climate Law. Categorised in: Climate Change