Appearing before the Environmental Audit Committee yesterday
afternoon, the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net
Zero made a number of commitments in the Government's pledge to
meet net zero.
The first half of the evidence session focused on international
climate leadership and the COP29 climate summit. MPs then
discussed net zero and the Government's clean power by 2030
target.
The commitments made by the Secretary of State included:
- Any expansion sought by UK airports must be justified within
the legally binding framework passed by the 2008 Climate Change
Act and “any aviation expansion will only be able to go ahead if
it is consistent with our Carbon Budgets”.
- The outcome of the upcoming Spending Review will reflect net
zero commitments.
- The Government will seek to find common ground on climate
with the new US administration, recognising that US renewables
investment increased during President Trump's first term in
office.
- The Government will facilitate a “central role” for the
Environmental Audit Committee in scrutiny of the Seventh Carbon
Budget, once the Climate Change Committee's advice to Government
on the budget is published in February 2025. The Government is
required to gain Parliamentary approval for its proposed
budgetary level by June 2026, and is required to present a full
delivery plan to Parliament thereafter.
- Ministers are to make annual statements to Parliament on the
Government's assessment of the state of climate and nature,
offering information on Government action and suggesting how
members of the public can contribute emissions reductions and
nature recovery.
- Secondary legislation to bring the UK's contribution to
international aviation and shipping emissions within the ambit of
the Sixth Carbon Budget and subsequent budgets “is in hand” and
“will happen”.
- The Government intends to review and strengthen the UK's
current National Adaptation Programme for adaptation to climate
change.
- The Artificial Intelligence Energy Council is to consider the
implications for water resources as well as power consumption in
the establishment of new large scale AI data centres.
Environmental Audit Committee Chair, MP,
said:
“According to the Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary
of State, the net zero transition is
‘unstoppable'.
“A number of important commitments were made to our
Committee yesterday afternoon. I welcome assurances that this
Committee will have a key role in scrutinising proposals for the
Seventh Carbon Budget, given its enormous role in setting the
UK's path to meeting net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
“Airport expansion remains a critically important issue
in which this Committee, as so many others, is taking a keen
interest. The Secretary of State confirmed that airport expansion
proposals would only be authorised if they will be consistent
with legally binding net zero targets. As a Committee we will be
interested in examining the Government's approach to balancing
any increase in aviation emissions with other sectors across the
economy. greater offsetting in the sector to justify the
move.
“The Committee will be watching the Government's actions
closely and will hold Ministers to account should there be any
sense that they intend to deviate from these important policy
commitments on climate and the environment.”
Note to editors: