The Chair of the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee
has responded to the Climate Change Committee's (CCC) 2025 report
on progress in reducing emissions.
The Committee heard from the Climate Change Committee's Chief
Executive, Interim Chair and Chief Economist in April 2025, in
an evidence session on
proposals for the Seventh Carbon Budget.
Responding to the report, Environmental Audit Committee
Chair MP said:
“There is plenty to be encouraged by in the CCC's latest report.
The fact that the UK's emissions have halved since 1990 – with
the pace of reduction increasing since the 2008 Climate Change
Act – is something we should all be proud of.
But the UK's targets are rightly stretching and so there is much
more work to be done. With 39% of the Government's planned
emissions reductions coming with significant risks or
insufficient plans, according to the CCC, it's imperative that
the Government dig in and redouble its efforts.
To start with, progress must be made on reducing the cost of
energy bills for households and businesses. Low carbon
technologies of the future such as electric vehicles and heat
pumps, critical to reaching a net zero future, will only succeed
if they are affordable to run. The steps taken in this week's
Industrial Strategy to bring down energy costs for firms seem to
be an important step. My Committee will keep a close eye on
whether these measures make a genuine difference.
As the Government proceeds, it is essential that MPs on my
committee and across the House are able to scrutinise these plans
in advance. I welcome the encouragement given to the Committee to
conduct more detailed scrutiny of the Seventh Carbon Budget.
We also note that today's report explicitly recommends that the
Government publish a draft delivery plan before the Seventh
Carbon Budget is put before Parliament. We look forward to
Ministers explaining how they will ensure that Parliament has all
the information it needs ahead of setting the Budget's level.”
