Climate Change Committee report says policy strengthening needed to meet future carbon budget
Tue 15 July 2014
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Unless key policies are strengthened and improved the UK is in danger of missing its post-2020 carbon targets according to a progress report published by the Committee on Climate Change (CCC). The CCC’s latest update to Parliament identifies that good progress has been made on development and implementation of some, but not all, policies. The first carbon budget has been met through successful low carbon policies but also as a consequence of the impacts of the recession.
There has been strong progress in improving the fuel efficiency of new cars, as stipulated by EU regulation, and foundations have been laid for the electric vehicle market although uptake of EVs has been slow.
According to the CCC at the current rate of progress future budgets will not all be met. Current policies may only reduce emissions by 21 to 23 per cent from 2013 to 2025, rather than the required 31 per cent reduction. Achieving this will require further strengthening of policies, including the improvement to policy design and increased ambition, extended further in time.
To help the UK meet its future carbon budgets, the CCC recommended an increased ambition for the residential energy efficiency sector, and for commercial energy efficiency policies to be simplified. It also urged the establishment of a 2030 decarbonisation target, and to set out strategies for commercialising offshore wind and CCS.
Lord Deben, Chairman of the Committee on Climate Change, said: “Climate Change demands urgent action. We have started on the road and we are being joined by much of the rest of the world. However, despite our success, the UK is still not on track to meet our statutory commitment to cut emissions by 80 per cent. The longer we leave it, the more costly it becomes. This report shows the best and most cost-effective ways to ensure we meet our targets. There is no time to lose.”
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