MP, Interim Minister for
Energy and Clean Growth, today gave evidence to the BEIS Select
Committee on the subject of Clean Growth Strategy and
International Climate Change Targets.
Other witnesses were Tim Lord, Director, Clean Growth, DBEIS, and
Ashley Ibbett, Director, Clean Electricity, DBEIS (who did not
answer any questions). 


Committee chairman opened the session by asking
what analysis the government had done to ensure the net-zero
target represented a 'fair contribution' to limiting global
warming. Mr Skidmore said it was important to take a
whole-of-society approach so no one got left behind in the
transition to a green economy. He did not want to set artificial
targets that could not be met.
Ms Reeves asked if, in five years time, the target of 2050 would
be changed. Mr Skidmore said a different date could be set in
2037, at the time of Carbon Budget 6. Tim Lord thought five years
would be a sensible point for the CCC to look at the question
again. 

and asked about carbon
offsetting in the shipping and aviation industries and the likely
carbon emissions caused by a new runway at Heathrow. The minister
said the government did not want to impose overly punitive
measures. The priority must be to recognise where "changes in
systems" must take place. As an interim minister, he did not want
to make commitments.
(apparently becoming
increasingly exasperated - even angry - by the minister's evasive
answers) questioned why fuel duty was paid on petrol but not on
aviation fuel, which seemed to her to be "regressive."
Replying to , the Minister intimated that
the government had no plans to use international credits to meet
the UK's carbon budgets. Mr Kerr asked if the government had
established principles for what a "robust system of international
credits" should look like. Tim Lord replied that the initial set
of rules should be set at COP 25. Making sure carbon savings were
genuine was the critical point.
asked why climate change had
been excluded from the Office for Environmental Protection's
remit. Mr Lord said the Climate Change Act was robust. BEIS
accepted the principle of independent scrutiny of the net-zero
target. Mr Skidmore added that a new body's role would have to be
balanced with that of the CCC, but BEIS was open to looking into
the subject further.
Replying to Mr Kerr, the minister said the government would
respond to the CCC's progress report in October and hoped the
Energy White Paper would be published before then. He hoped the
new Prime Minister would be able to demonstrate a
cross-government approach - almost a new Green Deal.
On conversations with the Treasury about funding for net-zero, Mr
Skidmore said getting net-zero over the line involved many
conversations with the Treasury, which was now taking forward its
review, with the involvement of DBEIS and the CCC.
He could not comment on the Treasury's reported estimate that the
cost of net-zero would be £1 trillion. But he made the point that
net-zero was not a cost, it was an investment.
Regarding the review to take place in the summer, Tim Lord said
it would be Treasury-led and BEIS would contribute to it.
urged the minister to impress
on the Treasury to look at the review in a rounded way and to
include the benefits from acting on carbon emissions.
