UK government urged to move faster on ‘net zero’ policymaking

In its new progress report (438-page / 17.2MB PDF), the independent Climate Change Committee (CCC) urged the UK government to speed-up its delivery of new policies to follow through on its primary commitment of achieving ‘net zero’ greenhouse gas emissions in the UK economy by 2050.

“While the policy framework has continued to develop over the past year, this is not happening at the required pace for future targets,” the CCC said. “The net zero target was legislated in 2019, but there remains a lack of urgency over its delivery. The net zero transition is scheduled to take around three decades, but to do so requires a sustained high-intensity of action. This is required all the more, due to the slow start to policy development so far. Pace should be prioritised over perfection.”

Michael Watson of Pinsent Masons, a climate and sustainability adviser, said: “The key message from this report which advocates faster action is ‘what is it that we don’t know now that we will know better in six months’ time?’ to which the answer it posits is ‘nothing’. So, what are the blockers to faster action? More progressive policy and regulation is one, informed and accelerated private sector action is another – having regard to the opportunities from faster transition and the risks occasioned by delayed transition. The costs of inaction mount, says the CCC, which only increases the pace of change in due course. This is yet another piece of information which illustrates the benefits of acting sooner.”

The CCC said its confidence in the UK achieving its 2030 target – of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 68% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels – has reduced over the past year and that the government must accelerate its action prior to the next general election.

“At COP26, the UK made stretching 2030 commitments in its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) – now only seven years away,” the CCC said. “To achieve the NDC goal of at least a 68% fall in territorial emissions from 1990 levels, the rate of emissions reduction outside the power sector must almost quadruple. Continued delays in policy development and implementation mean that the NDC’s achievement is increasingly challenging.”

The CCC said seven recommendations it had outlined in last year’s progress report appear not to have been acted on at all yet. These include a review of the role of tax policy in delivering net zero, a long-term strategy for electricity decarbonisation, and new policies to ensure that owner-occupied homes reach a minimum energy performance of EPC C by 2035. It described all seven recommendations as “essential” and called on the government to “enact them as soon as possible”.

The CCC report reflected on the developing climate emergency. It highlighted how 2022 had been the warmest year on record for the UK and one of the six warmest years on record globally and how 2023 is likely to be warmer than 2022.

It said: “The record-breaking temperatures seen in the UK in summer 2022 brought unprecedented numbers of heat-related deaths, wildfire incidents and significant infrastructure disruption. Human activities are causing our climate to change. Only decisive action will slow further changes.”

The CCC acknowledged “strong commitments” the UK government has made to address the climate crisis, including its policies to phase-out fossil fuel-powered vehicles from 2030, decarbonise the electricity system by 2035, and deploy at scale new industries such as hydrogen and greenhouse gas removals. However, it advised against net airport expansion in the UK and the development of new North Sea oil and gas fields, and, among other things, called for policy to be developed to support decarbonisation of the steel industry and for incentives to be developed to encourage electrification within industry.

The CCC also highlighted developments internationally that call for the government to re-establish its previous “clear global leadership position on climate action”.

It said: “We are no longer COP President; no longer a member of the EU negotiating bloc. Our response to the recent fossil fuel price crisis did not embrace the rapid steps that could have been taken to reduce energy demand and grow renewable generation. We have backtracked on fossil fuel commitments, with the consenting of a new coal mine and support for new UK oil and gas production – despite the strong wording of the Glasgow Climate Pact. And we have been slow to react to the US Inflation Reduction Act and the EU’s proposed Green Deal Industrial Plan, which are now a strong pull for green investment away from the UK.”

“It is critical that the UK re-establishes its climate leadership with a clearer strategy to develop net zero industries and technologies in the UK and capture the economic benefits of net zero, with actions that create demand-pull for the critical technologies that will shape the UK’s progress over the next decade,” it said.

The CCC’s latest report follows on from its publication in March of a separate report that highlighted deficient progress towards adaptation for climate change in England. The CCC has called for a “step change” when the next National Adaptation Programme (NAP3) is published, which is expected this summer. It said the NAP3 “must be much more ambitious than its predecessors and lead to a long overdue shift in focus towards the delivery of effective adaptation”.

Mark Ferguson of Pinsent Masons, a public affairs expert, said: “This is a hugely important report and the scale of the challenge to policymakers, businesses and the public is clear. The CCC is clear that the lack of urgency is a critical factor in stalling action on climate change in the UK and calls on the government to act at pace, rather than seeking perfection in its legislative agenda. But the report is a must read for business leaders too and should encourage some reflection on how the findings might affect their own corporate net zero plans.”

“The Committee has made a number of recommendations that will undoubtedly have a significant impact on sectors right across the economy. These recommendations will require businesses to consider how they might respond to the legal and practical issues arising from the report. Equally, it is clear that businesses have a considerable role to close the gap in helping the UK to meet its climate targets,” he said.