Commenting on the Sixth Carbon Budget published today (9
December) by the Climate Change Committee (CCC), Dr
Jonathan Marshall, Head of Analysis at the Energy and Climate
Intelligence Unit (ECIU) said: "These stretching
targets will see climate policies increasingly overlap with
everyday life, bringing changes in the cars we drive, how we heat
our homes, and how the products we buy are made. The overwhelming
backing among the British public for climate action, at both
governmental and individual levels, means that these measures are
likely to be popular and well-supported, as long as well-thought
policies are used to bring about change.
“Calling time on gas boilers will represent a major step on
the UK’s path to a carbon neutral nation, and is a way for
families up and down the country to take action on their carbon
footprints. Switching to clean heat will not only cut emissions,
it will reduce air pollution and – if supported with the right
policies – dramatically cut energy bills. With strong suggestions
that hydrogen will not be widely used to heat our homes, the CCC
have given the Government the ammunition needed to make a big
call on clean heat, which if done well could lead to a booming
heat pump industry based on British soil.
“The Sixth Carbon Budget also brings with it a clear need to
act in the short term. Setting targets is all well and good, but
the next few years is key to whether we hit them or not. The
Government is currently sitting on a slew of strategies,
frameworks and plans that are tasked with decarbonising the
economy; the recent increase in ambition only highlights the need
for these to contain policies that match the rhetoric."
Dr Alison Doig, International Lead at ECIU,
said: “In its report today the CCC demonstrates that, as
president of COP26, the UK can show it is serious about
delivering the goals of the Paris Agreement, by taking its
advice.
“The report demonstrates that taking bold action to
decarbonise our economy makes sense for jobs and prosperity
across the country, but also keeps the UK at the forefront of an
international zero carbon revolution. Leading the world in
renewable technologies, at the forefront of innovations, and
building international confidence that net zero is
possible.”
