Comment on CCC annual progress report

Commenting on the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) annual progress report to Parliament, Lord Michael Howard said:

“This is welcome confirmation that Britain has nothing to fear economically from reducing our carbon emissions. We have been the most successful of the G7 economies in the 25 years since the Rio Earth Summit, and that should give the Government confidence in setting out the next set of policies as the Committee recommends.

“The agenda for this Parliament is going to be dominated by the process of leaving the European Union, which I believe will be positive for Britain. As we do so, continuing our success story on climate change can only be to our advantage in a world where many other countries are also looking to grow their economies while reducing carbon emissions.”

Richard Black, director of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) said:

“For the first time in its annual progress reports, the Committee has spelled out just how successful Britain has been in decoupling carbon emissions from economic growth – and this real-world evidence should nail once and for all the canard that cutting emissions will harm our economy.

“However, the progress we’re seeing now is the result of policies enacted under the Coalition, and it’s clear that since the 2015 election the Government has been treading water. Unless ministers get on with setting new decarbonisation policies for the power sector, heating and transport, progress will stall and the UK will lose its leadership position.

“Investors are ready and willing to put money into Britain’s low-carbon future – they just need clear, unequivocal signals from Government. And given the economic benefits of decarbonisation, one might ask – what are ministers waiting for?”