Government has ‘no plan’ to reach its own target on cutting emissions

THE GOVERNMENT has been accused of having “no plan” for cutting the UK’s emissions to net zero, almost two years after the target was made into law.

A report from the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said there was no co-ordinated plan, with clear milestones, to achieve the legally binding goal to cut emissions by 100 per cent by 2050.

MPs also warned the Government was not properly engaging with the public on the behaviour changes, such as eating less meat or replacing boilers or cars with cleaner alternatives, that will be needed to achieve the net zero goal.

The warning comes as the UK seeks to show leadership on tackling global warming, as it prepares to host a key United Nations climate summit, known as Cop26, in Glasgow in November.

A separate report from MPs on the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Beis) committee urged the Government to spell out how it would measure success at the climate change conference.

The Beis report called for the Government to set out a clear list of ambitions for the summit, with accompanying measures of success.

Darren Jones, chairman of the committee, said: “Cop26 this November must conclude with countries around the world setting out their road maps to delivering on the Paris Agreement targets set five years ago.”

The Paris Agreement commits countries to limiting temperature rises to “well below” 2C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to curb warming to 1.5C to avoid the most dangerous impacts of climate change.

Mr Jones said more focus must be given to the “overriding necessity” to agree deliverable policies that keep global temperature rises to as close to 1.5C as possible. And the Government must put sufficient resources behind the global negotiations to ensure agreements are reached at Cop26 to commit and help countries to make the required changes.

On the domestic front, the UK set a target in 2019 to cut emissions to “net zero” by 2050, which requires reducing greenhouses gases to as near to zero as possible and offsetting any remaining pollution with measures to absorb carbon, such as planting trees.

The Public Accounts Committee said that, nearly two years on, the Government lacked a plan to deliver on net zero, though the MPs acknowledged it intended to publish a “plethora of strategies” this year.

Meg Hillier MP, chairwoman of the PAC, said: “We must see a clear path plotted, with interim goals set and reached.”

As much as 62 per cent of future reductions in emissions will rely on individual choices and behaviours, from day-to-day lifestyle choices on diet to big ticket purchases such as vehicles or heating systems. But the PAC report warned the Government had not yet engaged with the public on the changes needed, and it would also have to engage more with local authorities, including ensuring they have the necessary resources to do their bit.

It said the Government was not yet ensuring its activities to reduce UK emissions were not simply shifting greenhouse gas pollution overseas, which would undermine global efforts to tackle climate change.

A Government spokesperson said it was “nonsense” to say the Government did not have a plan.

Almost two years later the Government still has no plan. Meg Hillier MP, chairwoman for PAC.