Ministers must set up a strong taskforce to push for a zero-carbon electricity grid and step up the fight against global warming, a key report has urged.
The Committee on Climate Change report says the government must create a high-level infrastructure supply group to take “rapid action” to drive the construction of a new wave of energy assets.
This was one of 27 “priority recommendations” in the scathing report, which warns that the country has “lost its clear leadership position” in the race to zero.
“Despite the new details from the government, our confidence that the UK will meet its medium-term targets has declined over the past year,” the paper said.
Alongside the creation of an infrastructure supply group, the committee calls for the identification of shovel-ready electricity and hydrogen schemes and a long-term strategy to create a resilient and decarbonised electricity system by 2035 .
A minister-led panel should also contain representatives from the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero, other Whitehall departments and devolved administrations, the regulator Ofgem and asset owners, he says.
“Priorities include planning and consent review, with projects of strategic importance prioritized; provide adequate resources to regulatory, planning and environmental consent bodies; reform the connections process; promote strategic investment; and ensuring that the necessary strategic planning and skills/supply chain development is taking place,” urges the report.
On the other hand, the committee calls for a review of the planning system to ensure that net zero outcomes are consistently prioritized” and not “overridden” due to feasibility concerns. The guidance should also be clear that there has a presumption against approving new coal production facilities, while airport expansion should be banned until the aviation sector exceeds the Kingdom’s overall emissions reduction targets united
The wide-ranging, 438-page report also calls for a government action plan for net zero skills, as well as a timetable for the decarbonisation of the steel industry.
In a letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, outgoing committee chairman Lord Deben criticized the “failure to act decisively in response to the energy crisis and build on the success of COP26”.
“The government must act urgently to correct the mistakes of the past year,” he added. “It cannot wait until the next general election. I must ask you directly to heed the advice in the report and claim the UK’s clear climate leadership role.
“Our children will not forgive us if we leave them a world of blistering heat and devastating storms, where sea levels rise and extreme temperatures force millions to move because their countries are no longer habitable. None of us can avoid our responsibility . Delay is not an option.”
A government spokesman said: “We can be proud of the UK’s record as a world leader in net zero. We are going far beyond other countries and making tangible progress while reducing energy bills by hundreds of pounds discounts from next month.
“The UK is cutting emissions faster than any other G7 country and attracted billions of investment in renewable energy, which now accounts for 40 per cent of our electricity. In the last year alone, we have confirmed the first state support for a nuclear project in more than 30 years and we have invested billions to launch new industries such as carbon capture and floating offshore wind.
“With a new department dedicated to delivering net zero and energy security, we are driving economic growth, creating jobs, reducing energy bills and reducing our reliance on imported fossil fuels.”
Industry reaction
Chris Richards, director of policy at the Institution of Civil Engineers, said: “It is alarming, but sadly not surprising, that the latest report from the Committee on Climate Change says there is a general lack of urgency on the part of the UK Government to deliver on the net zero transition.
“The government appears to see net zero decisions as unviable spending due to the cost of living crisis, but in the long run postponing investment in the transition to net zero will cost the public and businesses more, while will delay the financial advantages of a net zero system that will be cheaper to run.
“Infrastructure professionals want to be part of the solution. They are leading the way by creating new industry standards for managing carbon in the built environment and suggesting more joined-up strategic decision-making across the sector.
“But to implement ideas and move forward, the profession needs clear direction from the government. If the government doesn’t prioritize decisions with the future in mind, who thinks it will?”
Rob Wall, deputy director of the British Property Federation, said: “The latest report from the Committee on Climate Change pulls no punches. The need to accelerate action to decarbonise our homes and buildings is more urgent than ever.
“The lack of policy and regulatory certainty is a real barrier, with nine out of 10 industry leaders telling us they do not believe existing government policy will deliver a net zero real estate sector by 2050. For example, we have been waiting more than two years to clarify the new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) Without this, landlords cannot plan and invest in energy efficiency improvements with any degree of confidence.
“Our recent research with JLL also highlights the need for a national modernization programme, covering both residential and commercial buildings, and targeted financial incentives. Measures such as zero-rating VAT on repairs and residential maintenance, and reform of commercial rates and capital allowance systems, will be key to unlocking investment and accelerating the transition to a net zero property industry.”