CCC report shows government what needs to be done

Although essentially a report on the work of a now-departed government, the Climate Change Committee’s 2024 Progress Report to Parliament presents the new regime with a useful indication of what they have inherited.

Indeed, the executive summary begins: ‘The UK has a successful track record of emissions reductions, having met all its targets so far. Territorial emissions have now fallen by over half. We should celebrate this, and the Committee applauds the efforts of successive governments to achieve it.

‘However last year, despite some progress, the previous Government signalled a slowing of pace and reversed or delayed key policies. The new Government will have to act fast to hit the country’s commitments.’

There is plenty of praise for the work done so far but there is a sense that the low-hanging fruit have been gathered in and it’s time to reach for the ladders.

For example, much the UK’s success in reducing emissions has come from phasing out coal-generated electricity, however as that is now all but phased out, we need to turn our attention to oil and gas generation.

Worryingly, the Committee believe that just a third of the emissions reductions needed to achieve the 2030 target are covered by credible plans.

Our adoption of low-carbon technologies is also highlighted as being way off track and in this respect the Committee highlights three priority actions:

• Annual offshore wind installations must increase by at least three times, onshore wind installations will need to double and solar installations must increase by five times.
• Approximately 10% of existing homes in the UK will need to be heated by a heat pump, compared to only approximately 1% today.
• The market share of new electric cars needs to increase from 16.5% today to nearly 100%.

Among those reacting to the report was Danny Gross, climate campaigner at Friends of the Earth, who said: ‘This report is a damning indictment of the climate policies the new Labour administration has inherited from the previous government.

‘While the new government has made a positive start on climate action by setting out plans for decarbonising electricity, including lifting the ban on onshore wind, and withdrawing its legal defence of plans for a new coal mine in Cumbria, it urgently needs to ramp up ambition on cutting emissions from homes and buildings, transport and agriculture.

‘Every government department will need to swing behind policies for a fair, green transition to a zero-carbon economy if it’s to meet its manifesto pledge to achieve the UK’s commitment to reduce emissions by over two thirds by 2030.

‘The government must publish a new climate plan by May next year – following our landmark court win against the Conservatives’ unlawful strategy. So, the race is on to develop a bold package of policies that put the UK’s climate goals back on track, reduce inequality, bring down bills and emissions, and create the green jobs and industries needed for a fossil free future.’

Jess Ralston, Head of Energy at the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), said: ‘Although the Committee is largely analysing the Conservative Government’s recent policy roll backs, the new Government would do well to learn lessons from its predecessor’s missteps. Ensuring that big boiler manufacturers are not able to stand in the way of progress on the Clean Heat Market Mechanism, which would boost competition to bring down heat pump prices, will be important for our long-term energy security. While electric heat pumps can run on British renewables, boilers will be increasingly fuelled by foreign gas as the North Sea continues its inevitable decline.

‘Getting on with introducing minimum energy efficiency standards for the private rented sector would help lower gas demand too, boosting energy security, and shield renters from volatile gas bills. These are no-brainer policies that would get supply chains going and encourage economic growth.

‘On renewables, there is a wide-open goal for the new Government to improve the parameters for the next renewables auction and max out the number of offshore wind bids. This would send a clear signal to the industry and help get more renewables built more quickly, helping to reduce the UK’s exposure to volatile gas markets that have wreaked havoc with energy bills and the cost of living over the last few years.’

On agriculture and land Tom Lancaster, Head of Land, Food and Farming at ECIU said: ‘For the indicators they score, the Climate Change Committee have judged that emissions reductions for farming and land use are ‘significantly off track’, the worst rating they can give. Unfortunately, this does not come as a surprise. In a year when the impacts of climate change on farming have been felt so keenly by Britain’s farmers, this report should be a wakeup call for policy makers to get serious about tackling emissions from agriculture, and taking steps to build greater resilience to future climate impacts to safeguard our food security.

‘Defra’s new green farming schemes are an important start, but much more is needed in areas such as woodland creation and peatland restoration. These measures are popular, and can clean up rivers, restore nature and slow flood waters, as well as absorb carbon. The Committee is clear that the time for dithering on these measures is well and truly over.’