Government commits to publishing a national strategy to engage public with UK net zero transition
Wed 18 December 2024
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The UK Government says that "if we seize the opportunity and act now, the net zero transition will be one of the economic opportunities of the century" in its response to the Climate Change Committee's 2024 progress report. The Government's response, published just before Christmas, says: "This is a chance to support hundreds of thousands of good jobs, to drive investment into all parts of the UK, and to protect the UK economy from future price shocks created by reliance on fossil fuels"
As part of its response, the Government has committed to publishing a national strategy to engage the public with the UK's net zero transition this year. The strategy will set out plans to support people to adopt new technologies, ensure a fair transition, and ensure that public views are considered in the development of policy. The Government response says: “We are committed to ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to contribute to the transition to net zero, supporting people and communities to take action and demonstrating the benefits of the transition.”
The Government also commits to publishing a vision for decarbonised transport to maximise the opportunities that clean technology offers to the climate and the economy: “Transport policy as industrial strategy will allow us to transform existing industries – such as our world leading automotive sector – and grow nascent industries here in the UK, including sustainable aviation fuels and clean maritime technologies.”
The response sets out detailed plans for transforming the freight and logistics sector, helping operators benefit from improved efficiencies and consumers from lower carbon goods: “Our vision for freight will combine a zero emission light- and heavy goods vehicle fleet with increased rail freight capacity and zero emission vessels at sea – with improved, reliable infrastructure underpinning every element.”
The Government also says it will provide additional flexibility through permitted development rights for homeowners and businesses when installing off-street electric vehicle chargepoints.
The Government has already fulfilled one commitment made in its response to the CCC: to consult on the phase-out of new cars that rely solely on internal combustion engines from 2030.
For more information, see this link.
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