Climate Change Committee reports UK “off track” for Net Zero

What are the findings from the Climate Change Committee Report 2024?

Whilst it was acknowledged that the country’s emissions are reduced to less than half the levels in 1990, the report expressed concern that policies from the previous government would fail to meet required targets. In order to succeed with UK decarbonisation, the Committee urged that ambitious action is required by the government not only in the energy sector, but also across buildings, transport, industry and agriculture. 

Commenting on the report findings, Professor Piers Forster, interim chair of the Climate Change Committee, stated that “the country’s 2030 emissions reduction target is at risk”. Whilst suggesting that the change in government presents an opportunity for correction, and that Labour are “off to a good start”, Forster stated that “action needs to extend beyond electricity, with rapid progress needed on electric cars, heat pumps and tree planting”. 

Growing focus on heat pump adoption

The 2021 Heat and Buildings Strategy under Johnson’s government produced a scaling-up plan for heat pump rollout, supporting households to switch to low-carbon heat pumps with £5,000 grants. The Committee projects that, in order to reach net zero, heat pumps will be needed in up to 80% of homes by 2050. At present, heat pumps have been installed across 1% of homes across the UK, and so further action may be necessary to ramp up their adoption.

In the report, the Committee addressed the main issues facing heat pump adoption, attributing this to a lack of public information, and recommending knowledge sharing within communities to increase uptake of energy efficiency measures. 

Key report recommendations for decarbonisation

As part of the report, the Climate Change Committee produced a list of ten priority recommendations to the government, including the following actions for decarbonisation:

• Reduce electricity costs to support industrial electrification and ensure low running costs for heat pumps.
• Reinstate previous policy rollbacks such as the exemption of 20% of households from the 2035 fossil-fuel boiler installation phase-out.
• Remove planning barriers for heat pumps, onshore wind, and electric vehicle charging points.
• Introduce a comprehensive public sector decarbonisation programme for schools and hospitals.

Further recommendations include plans to increase support for workers in transitioning sectors, encouraging electrification of industrial heat, and strengthening of NAP3. Referring to previous government rollbacks, the report stated that they had “increased the gap between the UK’s plans and its targets”, and that broader messaging had caused uncertainty over net zero on a domestic and international scale. To combat this, the government is urged to present a clear focus on transition, remove obstacles, and utilise rapid policy action.

How is the government taking action?

Committee chair Forster stated that the government “has got off to a very good start”, and that he does believe it is “still possible to get to the 2030 target”, reassuring that the government has the chance to rebuild confidence in achieving net zero.

Keir Starmer’s government has taken action to reduce emissions through lifting the previous ban on onshore wind farms, approving plans for the delivery of solar power to UK homes, and rejecting plans for a Cumbria coal mine, stating it was an “error in law” to have granted planning permission for the mine in 2022.

Commenting on the report, Ed Miliband, the Secretary of State for Energy and Net Zero, stated “this report confirms that a clean energy future is the best way to make Britain energy independent” and that the government is “wasting no time in delivering our mission” to “make Britain a clean energy superpower”.  

Further steps for the UK decarbonisation strategy

In summary, the outcomes of the Committee’s report indicate that the government must present a committed approach to target decarbonisation across sectors and increase efforts for the adoption of heat pumps across UK households.

If you require advice regarding implementing your sustainability strategy, arrange a free consultation with our decarbonisation experts today. We can provide specialist support with the public sector decarbonisation scheme, and help you to secure funding, contact one of our consultants for more information.