Carbon budget and growth delivery plan: comment

"With climate change worsening flooding in the UK, unless we work with nature by planting more trees and restoring habitats like peatlands to capture rainfall, people’s homes and farmers’ fields will be at ever great risk.

“But this plan seems to reduce that ambition. And since farmers in England have just suffered their second worst harvest [2] following an extremely dry spring and the hottest summer on record, reducing the ambition of schemes that could protect crops and livestock is a real head scratcher."


Colin Walker, Head of Transport, at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) said: 

“The problem isn’t those who fly to go on their annual holidays, but there’s certainly a fairness point here given 30% of flights are taken by just 3% [3]. The Government is pinning its hopes for cutting aviation emissions on Sustainable Aviation Fuels and technological innovations that are still very much in their infancy, and failing to encourage ultra-frequent flyers from making more sustainable choices". 

 

Jess Ralston, Head of Energy at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) commented: 

"Reaching net zero emissions is scientifically the only way the world can bring balance back to our climate and stop climate change. The good news is the UK is already halfway to playing its part having cut emissions by 50%. It now also looks as if China’s emissions may have peaked.

"Everyone knows there is huge momentum towards renewables and clean technologies like EVs globally so this is also a plan for keeping pace with global markets. The UK’s net zero economy is growing three times faster than the economy as whole with jobs in offshore wind springing up in places like Grimsby.

"But for anyone whose paid a gas bill in recent years, a shift to clean technologies ultimately means cheaper, electric driving, more insulated homes and less exposure to volatile international gas markets influenced by actors like Putin. The Government's plans for electric heat pumps are ambitious, with installs rising ten-fold in 5 years, but if we don't make the shift, we'll be reliant on ever more foreign gas to heat our homes as the North Sea stocks continue to run out. The Warm Homes Plan is due to set out exactly how in the coming months.

"These five yearly ‘carbon budgets’ are really important because they stop politicians ducking decisions, playing short-term politics with a long-term problem. The majority of the public are concerned by climate change and therefore back the net zero target, in fact more people think the government isn’t doing enough than think is doing too much."