The government will only take forward recommendations from the Climate Change Committee (CCC) to ensure the UK is on track to meet its legal Net Zero target if they do not require major change for consumers, despite the green agenda possibility of creating “new industries”, it has said in its response to the latest CCC report.
In a response that had mixed messages, the government said “There are huge opportunities in our green energy future to create new industries, jobs, investment and economic growth and the UK is well placed to seize them. McKinsey estimate $1 trillion of value to UK businesses over the period to 2030,” and added that “The UK has demonstrated that green and growth go hand in hand over the last decade and we are determined to build on this”.
But the response also suggested that getting the consent of the public to ensure net zero is achieved required a ‘no change’ approach. It said, “That means not taking forward CCC recommendations on policies that force families to make costly and burdensome changes to their lifestyles”. It said this was a “pragmatic, proportional and realistic approach” to net zero. It gave as an example flying, saying, “we are anti-aviation emissions, not flying, and want to deliver sustainable flying for everyone to enjoy holidays, visit friends and family overseas and to travel for business”. It did not use the example of dealing with cold, poorly insulated homes and increasing levels of fuel poverty, or of removing barriers to low-cost electricity supply options such as onshore wind.
The government said it was, “partly or fully acting upon 85% of the CCC’s priority recommendations and is acting on the majority of the remaining 273 recommendations – demonstrating our commitment to seizing the economic opportunities presented from the energy transition and net zero and the value of the CCC’s advice.”