More ambition needed on electrification: EAC Chair responds to Climate Change Committee report

Responding to the Climate Change Committee's latest progress report on reducing emissions, the Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, Toby Perkins MP, said:

I welcome today's progress update from the Climate Change Committee (CCC) ahead of an important chance for MPs to debate the government's latest net zero plans in Parliament today.

The CCC is right to welcome the progress the government has made on reducing the UK's emissions and to note that we are one of the countries leading the world on decarbonisation.

But it is also right to say that the government needs a more ambitious plan to electrify the UK, to keep UK households protected from the volatile shocks to fossil fuel prices we see today. There is still more we can be doing to reduce emissions to net zero in line with our legally binding targets whilst keeping costs lower for consumers.

The CCC highlights several measures to get there which align with those identified by my Committee: making electricity cheaper, support the transition to electric vehicles, and encourage more households to install heat pumps.

The government's work to bring down bills and drive fair electrification must proceed quickly and urgently if we are to address the alarming rise in extreme weather that sees much of the UK facing record breaking temperatures this week.