The Climate Change Committee (CCC) has warned in its latest progress report to parliament that the UK’s strategy for decarbonising the economy will not achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 if progress continues on its current path.
The 600-page assessment from the government’s advisory committee found “major failures” in delivery of programmes and “scant evidence” of working to headline goals.
Although a few bright spots were identified, particularly in the deployment of renewable electricity and the expansion of electric car use, in most areas the likelihood of under-delivery was described as high.
Lack of progress in significantly improving energy efficiency in homes and other buildings was singled out by CCC chief executive Chris Stark as a “stunning fail”.
In light of soaring energy bills, the report says there is a “shocking gap” in policy for better insulated homes, given that demand reduction will be key to the low-carbon transition.
Writing in the forward, committee chairman Lord Deban said: “Sharply rising fuel costs should have given added impetus to improving energy efficiency, yet the necessary programmes are not in place. We are still building new homes that do not meet minimum standards of efficiency and will require significant retrofitting.”
In 2012 the government substantially cut back its support for energy efficiency, resulting in higher energy bills for consumers, who are calculated to have missed out on a billion pounds of savings.
Consequently, uptake of energy efficiency improvements in homes stalled and remains far below its 2012 peak.
Key policy gaps exist in non-residential buildings as well. The report points out that committed government funding to decarbonise public buildings covers less than half of the upfront costs needed to hit its 2037 target of a 75% reduction (on 2017 levels) of emissions in this sector.
Plans were also attacked for a lack of sufficient regulatory levers to drive the transition away from gas boilers in commercial buildings, and the phase-out date for new gas boilers in non-residential buildings was branded as “too late”.
The report makes over 300 recommendations for filling out policies over the next year, reflecting the scale of the task at hand as the government moves from strategy to implementation.
CCC chairman, Lord Deben, said: “The UK is a champion in setting new climate goals, now we must be world-beaters in delivering them. In the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, the country is crying out to end its dependence on expensive fossil fuels. Holes must be plugged in its strategy urgently. The window to deliver real progress is short. We are eagle-eyed for the promised action.”
Read ‘Progress in reducing emissions: 2020 Report to Parliament’
