Climate Change
In June 2021, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) said government needs to ‘step up very rapidly’ to meet ‘historic’ targets.
The Climate Change Committee published two progress reports, showing the UK lagging behind on its key goal of 78% cuts to greenhouse gases by 2035 and making recommendations on how to get back on track.
The committee has made more than 200 recommendations to ministers, including:
- Replacing the scrapped green homes grant insulation scheme.
- Managing the phase-out of gas boilers.
- New roads should only be built if they can be shown not to increase emissions.
- Stiffer taxes on flights to “address price imbalances” with train travel.
- Carbon taxes on waste, industry and other sectors.
- Bringing forward regulations to ensure all new homes are built to low-carbon standards.
- Public information campaigns to explain to people the changes needed, including the need to cut meat consumption by about a fifth.
- 150,000 public charge points for electric vehicles by 2025.
- Public sector workers should be encouraged to work from home where possible.
See the CCC’s 2021 Progress Report to Parliament.