Government doubles down on green ambition as it unveils new UK climate plan

The Government has reaffirmed its commitment to climate action as it unveiled a major new plan outlining how the UK will meet its net zero goals.

The so-called “carbon budget and growth delivery plan”, published by ministers on Wednesday, outlines policies and measures aimed at reducing the country’s planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions.

Alongside its publication, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband doubled down on the Government’s mission to increase renewable energy capacity and cut emissions as a way of boosting the economy and reducing household bills.

It comes after the energy debate intensified in recent months, with the Conservatives and Reform UK pledging to ditch “expensive” net zero policies and maximise extraction of oil and gas from the North Sea.

With the newly unveiled plan, the Government recommitted to removing fossil fuels from the UK’s electricity supply by 2030 and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2037 – after a spate of political pushback.

Mr Miliband said: “Over the last 16 months we have put clean energy and climate action at the heart of our Government’s agenda – because we know it is the route to making the British people better off.

“This is about delivering better lives for people today – from warmer homes and cleaner air to cheaper transport and increased access to nature – as we tackle the climate and nature crises to protect our home for future generations.

“It would be negligent to leave our children and grandchildren to face energy insecurity and climate breakdown.”

The Energy Secretary argued that the plan will provide “clarity and certainty” to investors and businesses, helping to unlock the capital needed to create jobs and boost growth, and will strengthen the UK’s position as an international climate leader.

Most of the carbon budget delivery plan unveiled on Wednesday features policies that are not new.

Instead the plan includes measures that Labour has already announced since it came to power last year as well as some policies it inherited.

Ministers were legally required to publish the plan after the High Court last year ruled that the previous plan was unlawful, with a judge finding a lack of evidence that policies outlined were sufficient to meet legally binding climate targets.

Under the new plan, the Government has ruled out introducing a ban on gas boilers.

Instead, ministers will aim to support households to switch to low carbon heating – such as heat pumps – by ensuring these technologies are the natural consumer choice.

Elsewhere, renters will be able to ask landlords to give them access to electric vehicle charging in a change to the current rules, while industry will gain discounts to help reduce its energy costs.

On aviation, the Government recommitted to measures aimed at boosting the take up of sustainable aviation fuels.

However, it did not include much touted policies aimed at reducing demand for flying, such as a “frequent flyer tax”, amid concerns that airport expansion plans could wipe out emission reductions made in other sectors.

Campaigners largely welcomed the plan but warned that the Government must ensure climate action makes life better for people.

Shaun Spiers, executive director at Green Alliance, said: “The Government’s new climate plan shows real leadership.

“It rightly positions Britain at the forefront of the clean technology revolution that will lower bills, create new jobs and protect UK energy security.”

Richard Benwell, chief executive of Wildlife and Countryside Link, said: “The Government’s recognition that Britain’s best future lies in clean energy and climate action is absolutely right.

“The sentiment stands in glowing contrast to the short-sighted, short-termism of other parties’ proposals to scrap the Climate Change Act.”

Green MP Carla Denyer said: “While we have seen some steps in the right direction from this Government, like investment in renewable energy, we’ve also seen some incredibly damaging announcements that will take us backwards – from backing multiple airport expansions, to reportedly exploring how they can get around their manifesto commitment to no new oil and gas drilling.

“Most importantly, the Government must ensure that everything it does on the climate also makes life better for ordinary people in the UK, particularly the poorest – and make sure the richest, who are responsible for the vast majority of emissions, shoulder the costs.”

However, the Conservative Environment Network said Mr Miliband has “doubled down on his deeply counterproductive strategy” and criticised delays to the warm homes plan.

Sam Hall, the Conservative Environment Network’s director, said: “The ideological GB Energy and the unnecessary 2030 clean power mission will simply waste public money, damage competition, and drive up electricity prices, undermining electrification and climate action as a whole.

“The repeated delays to the Warm Homes Plan shows the Government is not serious about electrifying heating and tackling sky-high energy bills.”

Alongside the carbon budget delivery plan, ministers released its methane action plan on Wednesday, which outlines policies to reduce emissions of the greenhouse gas as part of the carbon budget.

Experts have said cutting methane emissions this decade would act as an “emergency brake” on global warming as countries try to limit the amount that global temperatures rise beyond 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.

The Government also published its response to the independent advisory Climate Change Committee’s (CCC) progress report, released in June, which said the cost of electricity must be cut so people feel the cash benefits of moving to clean tech such as heat pumps and electric vehicles.

It also warned that pollution from flights now outstripped the emissions from generating electricity in the UK and aviation’s climate impacts must be reflected in the cost of flying.

And as part of efforts to highlight the economic benefits of green growth, ministers published a prospectus that signposts opportunities for firms and investors.

The Government is required to publish carbon budgets under the Climate Change Act, which provides the legal framework to deliver the country’s commitments to the 2015 UN Paris Agreement to limit dangerous levels of global warming.

Carbon budget plans outline how the country will achieve emission cuts during five-year periods leading up to 2050, acting as stepping stones to ensure the UK meets its legally-binding target of cutting its net emissions to zero by mid-century, known as net zero.

The plan published on Wednesday, includes updated strategies for the fourth, fifth and sixth carbon budgets, which cover the years 2023 to 2033.

ClientEarth, Friends of the Earth and Good Law Project, who bought successful legal challenges against previous plans, said this strategy must redress previous shortcomings in evidencing how policies will meet the legally binding carbon targets.

Kyle Lischak, head of UK at ClientEarth, said: “Twice ministers have failed to demonstrate how policies will deliver on the UK’s climate pledges.

“We hope the new plan offers greater credibility, is rooted in evidence, and capitalises on the opportunity to improve the lives of people living in the UK.”

Asad Rehman, Friends of the Earth’s chief executive, said: “There are some encouraging signs that, at long last, we have a government ready to step up and get the UK’s climate targets back on track.

“But we won’t know for sure until we have studied the full detail of the plan.

“Let’s hope this time they’ve got it right.”