News Archives - Climate Change Committee https://www.theccc.org.uk/category/news/ Tue, 31 Jan 2023 13:40:40 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.1 https://www.theccc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/cropped-CCC-Icon-32x32.png News Archives - Climate Change Committee https://www.theccc.org.uk/category/news/ 32 32 A lack of leadership is preventing essential investment to prepare the UK for climate change https://www.theccc.org.uk/2023/02/01/a-lack-of-leadership-is-preventing-essential-investment-to-prepare-the-uk-for-climate-change/ Wed, 01 Feb 2023 00:01:00 +0000 https://www.theccc.org.uk/?p=41787 As last year’s heatwave demonstrated, the UK already faces significant challenges from the changing climate; these will intensify…

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As last year’s heatwave demonstrated, the UK already faces significant challenges from the changing climate; these will intensify as warming continues. Government has been too slow to react.

In common with Net Zero, a major programme of investment is required to meet the UK’s adaptation needs. But unlike Net Zero, the Government has not defined its priorities. That uncertainty is preventing progress on appraising the country’s investment needs and closing the adaptation gap.

In this report, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) offers new analysis of the UK’s adaptation investment priorities – and a series of recommendations to ensure that these are funded or privately financed.

The country’s adaptation investment needs already include preparation for flooding, future proofing of infrastructure and housing, investment in public water supply and nature restoration. In these areas alone, it’s plausible that new investment of the order of £10bn per year will be needed to prepare the UK for expected climate change. That figure could rise further with more dangerous levels of global warming.

Baroness Brown, Chair of the Adaptation Committee at the CCC said:

“Our last major assessment of the UK’s climate risk found that climate impacts have increased in the UK but that actions to prepare us are not keeping pace. It is no secret that the UK is now experiencing a range of damaging consequences of climate change, but adaptation in the UK remains chronically underfunded and overlooked. This must change.”

Ben Caldecott, Member of the Adaptation Committee at the CCC said:

“The UK faces growing climate impacts and needs to rapidly increase public and private investment in climate resilience. These investments will reduce future economic damage caused by floods and heatwaves, and can enhance growth and improve the sustainability of the public finances over time.

“Government funding and public financial institutions have a critical role to play in unlocking private investment but we also need others to play their part. Regulated industries, like the railways and water sector, need to have updated mandates so they can increase investment in climate defences. Financial regulators and government policy must push companies and financial institutions to do much more, including through mandatory adaptation planning and enhanced supervision“

“Integrating climate risk into economic and financial decision-making across society is essential for urgently needed investments in our national climate resilience to materialise.”

We have identified several areas for targeted action by Government:

  • Clarifying adaptation goals and roles for investment: The next National Adaptation Programme (NAP3), due in summer 2023, is an opportunity to set out the vision for what adaptation in the UK should achieve and a framework of associated goal and metrics.
  • Creating resilience mandates for regulators: The need for investment in adapting to climate change should be included within mandates/strategic priorities for all relevant regulated industry regulators (e.g. energy, water) and implementing agencies (e.g. Environment Agency) through resilience standards aligned to national-level objectives.
  • Helping to unlock investment through public financial institutions: UK Public financial institutions (such as the UK Infrastructure Bank, British Business Bank, UK Export Finance, and British International Investment) – should create adaptation finance strategies, setting out they will independently and collectively ensure that no viable UK climate adaptation project fails for lack of finance or insurance.

Public spending must support those investments where the societal value is not easily monetised, such as flood defences to protect towns and cities. Government also has role to ensure wider public investments in roads, schools and hospitals are funded to be adapted for the future climate.

In other areas, private investment in adaptation is more appropriate, but government must act to lower the barriers that prevent it. A reduction in climate risk can be hard to quantify, and the attraction of the investment is much lower without the ability to pay off borrowing. Policy can help to associate cashflows with adaptation benefits:

  • Homeowners – Homes can benefit from investing in adaptation. It can lead to reduced vulnerability to flooding or overheating and create a more comfortable home.  Incentives to act and a greater awareness of what should be done to prepare for climate risk and reduce emissions is urgently needed.
  • Regulated infrastructure – Regulators can require investment in long-term climate resilience from the private or public operators of the system. How this investment can be recaptured must consider fairness and affordability at the same time.
  • Private enterprise – Private businesses will be responsible for investing in the resilience of their specific commercial sites and their supply chains. This investment will be cheaper now due to avoiding the exposure to future climate impacts.

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Scotland’s climate targets are in danger of becoming meaningless https://www.theccc.org.uk/2022/12/07/scotlands-climate-targets-are-in-danger-of-becoming-meaningless/ Wed, 07 Dec 2022 00:01:00 +0000 https://www.theccc.org.uk/?p=41373 The Scottish Government lacks a clear delivery plan and has not offered a coherent explanation for how its policies will achieve Scotland’s bold emissions reduction targets - the conclusion of the latest assessment of Scotland’s progress by the Climate Change Committee.

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The Scottish Government lacks a clear delivery plan and has not offered a coherent explanation for how its policies will achieve Scotland’s bold emissions reduction targets – the conclusion of the latest assessment of Scotland’s progress by the Climate Change Committee.

In recent years, the Scottish Parliament has committed to extraordinary ambition to decarbonise its economy, with a welcome focus on a fair and just transition. That ambition should be applauded, but only if targets are achieved. The integrity of the Scottish climate framework is now at risk.

Lord Deben, Chairman of the Climate Change Committee said:

“In 2019, the Scottish Parliament committed the country to some of the most stretching climate goals in the world, but they are increasingly at risk without real progress towards the milestones that Scottish Ministers have previously laid out. One year ago, I called for more clarity and transparency on Scottish climate policy and delivery. That plea remains unanswered.”

The Climate Change Committee has conducted a methodological review of the Scottish Climate Targets and assessed progress in cutting Scottish greenhouse gas emissions.

Between 2019 and 2020 emissions fell by 12% – half of 1990 levels for the first time. But the fall in 2020 is only a temporary effect, largely due to travel restrictions in the pandemic. Evidence from across the UK is that Scottish emissions will rebound in 2021. Underlying progress in reducing emissions in Scotland has largely stalled in recent years. Since the Scottish Climate Change Act became law in 2009, the Scottish Government has failed to achieve 7 of the 11 legal targets.

Scotland’s lead in decarbonising over the rest of the UK has now been lost. Progress is now broadly the same as the UK as a whole. Two years after the publication of the Climate Change Plan update, we do not see evidence of sufficient action to meet the Scottish Parliament’s ambition. There are now glaring gaps in the Scottish Government’s climate plan and particular concerns about the achievement of the 2030 goal to cut emissions by 75%:

  • Plans to decarbonise transport in Scotland are falling behind other parts of the UK. Sales of electric cars are now behind those of England, despite Scotland’s greater ambition to decarbonise transport. The Scottish Government has so far been unwilling to consider measures to recover the shortfall, such as restrictions on aviation growth.
  • Scotland’s 2030 goal rests on rapid action to decarbonise buildings. Despite new public funding in this area, policies are still wholly inadequate to deliver the scale of low-carbon heat and energy efficiency improvements required.
  • Agriculture and land. Detail on low-carbon agriculture policy following Scotland’s exit from the EU Common Agricultural Policy is needed urgently. It is not clear how the emissions targets set by Scottish Ministers in this area can be delivered in the absence of new policies. On the key issue of restoring Scotland’s peatland carbon stores, restoration rates are less than half of Scotland’s own target of 20,000 hectares per year, which is in turn much less ambitious than the CCC’s recommendation of 45,000 hectares per year by 2022.

For sectors in which policy is significantly devolved to Scotland (e.g. transport, land use and waste), indicators show that progress towards meeting the Scottish Government’s milestones is too slow. Policies and plans are not yet sufficient to speed things up to the required rate.

Closer cooperation with the UK Government is required in other areas, particularly to guide the decarbonisation of Scottish industry and develop new industries to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. There is little evidence of cooperative policy planning, which is now undermining the achievement of Scotland’s more ambitious short-term goals.

Within Scotland, better collaboration is also required between Scottish Government and local authorities. Many local authorities have declared climate emergencies and named ambitious Net Zero goals, but they need better support from Scottish Government, not least in securing the funding to drive policy. Collaboration in all these areas is key for realising both Scotland’s ambitions and the full potential of Scotland’s contribution to the UK’s Net Zero target.

Scotland must build on the positive areas of progress, including planning reform. The draft fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) was an important step towards embedding Net Zero in the planning process and setting the direction of movement for major projects in Scotland, but its success will be determined by its implementation and enforcement, which remains unclear for now.

Notes to editors:

  1. On the basis of the latest (1990-2020) GHG emissions inventory, Scottish territorial emissions fell by 12% between 2019 and 2020 to 40.6 MtCO2e and by 51% on 1990 levels. Using the ‘base inventory’, against which emissions targets in Scotland are measured, emissions have fallen by 59% since 1990. Scotland has therefore met the 2020 interim target for a 56% reduction in emissions. However, this included a substantial contribution from the effects of the pandemic rather than policy progress.
  2. In 2018 Scotland’s consumption emissions grew 3% to 70 MtCO2e, which is 50% higher than territorial emissions. This corresponds to an average of 13 tCO2e per person, 22% higher than the UK average per person.
  3. Of our 72 recommendations from last year’s progress report that were scored this year, 16 were scored as sufficient progress/achieved, 30 as some but insufficient progress, 16 as no progress/not achieved, and 10 as too early to tell.

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Business use of offsets risks delaying Net Zero https://www.theccc.org.uk/2022/10/13/business-use-of-offsets-risks-delaying-net-zero/ Wed, 12 Oct 2022 23:01:00 +0000 https://www.theccc.org.uk/?p=40753 Voluntary carbon markets aren’t working, but get the rules right and they can make a positive contribution to Net Zero, say the CCC in its latest report.

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Voluntary carbon markets aren’t working, but get the rules right and they can make a positive contribution to Net Zero, say the CCC in its latest report.

Businesses are increasingly turning to voluntary carbon offsetting as they aim to reach Net Zero. But recent market growth is premature. Offsets can mask insufficient efforts from firms to cut their own emissions, they often deliver less than claimed, and they may push out other environmental objectives in the rush to capture carbon.

The Climate Change Committee has reviewed the evidence on the impact of voluntary carbon markets and offsetting. Their current shortcomings can be overcome with stronger governance to ensure high-integrity carbon credits and clearer guidance for businesses to encourage them to cut their own emissions first and foremost, before turning to offsets.

Chris Stark, Chief Executive of the Climate Change Committee said:

“Businesses want to do the right thing and it’s heartening to see so many firms aiming for early Net Zero dates. But poor-quality offsets are crowding out high-integrity ones. Businesses face confusion over the right approach to take. There is a clear need for Government to make standards stronger and point businesses towards an approach that prioritises real emissions reduction ahead of offsetting. Those businesses that choose to support the economy-wide transition to Net Zero should get the credit they deserve.”

Many businesses have named ambitious ‘Net Zero’ dates but achieving them through an over-reliance on offsets is undermining the economy-wide transition. The development of a clearer definition of a ‘Net Zero Business’ in the UK will help businesses pursue a strategy that complements the national targets – prioritising action to cut emissions ahead of offsetting.

Given better governance and standards, voluntary carbon markets can help deliver finance and funding to areas that need it. The UK already has some of the leading examples of good governance with the Woodland Carbon Code and the Peatland Code. Using these more widely can direct private investment towards new forestry and peatland restoration – two of the largest policy gaps in the UK Government’s current Net Zero Strategy. These codes can also be further improved to deliver wider improvements in biodiversity.

Globally, voluntary carbon markets can also help to pay for nature recovery or more permanent forms of ‘engineered’ greenhouse gas removal technologies, but prices would need to increase considerably to be effective and it’s unlikely that offsets alone can fill the funding gap.

The global market for voluntary carbon offsets has grown rapidly (up over threefold in 2020-2021 to $2 billion). The Government has an important role in raising standards:

  • Government should provide a clear definition of a ‘Net Zero’ business, which can be used reliably. A business or organisation should only be considered to be Net Zero when it has reduced its emissions as far as possible to be at or close to zero and permanently removed CO2 from the atmosphere to compensate for any remaining emissions. Beginning to reduce emissions and using carbon credits to cover the rest requires another term, such as ‘Offset Zero’ or ‘On the pathway to Net Zero’.
  • Government should use the forthcoming ‘Net Zero transition plan standard’ to require UK businesses to disclose their reliance on carbon credits and improve transparency.
  • Government should continue work to improve existing standards for carbon credits in the UK, and to influence and advocate for stronger global standards.

Ultimately, if voluntary carbon markets are genuinely to complement the transition to Net Zero, businesses must be supported to directly decarbonise their operations and supply chains. The role of a carbon credit should be to support, not discourage the reduction of actual emissions.

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Lord Deben to continue in post until mid-2023, Professor Nick Chater steps down https://www.theccc.org.uk/2022/07/28/lord-deben-to-continue-in-post-until-mid-2023-professor-nick-chater-steps-down/ Thu, 28 Jul 2022 13:14:21 +0000 https://www.theccc.org.uk/?p=38885 The Chairman of the Climate Change Committee (CCC), Lord Deben, will continue to lead the organisation until end of June 2023 at the request of the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) while long-serving Committee member Professor Nick Chater steps down.

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Profile images of CCC Chairman Lord Deben (left) and Professor Nick Chater.

The Chairman of the Climate Change Committee (CCC), Lord Deben, will continue to lead the organisation until end of June 2023 at the request of the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

Following ten years of service, Lord Deben had been due to step down this September. He has agreed to stay on for a period of 9 months to help ensure a smooth transition for the incoming Chair and a series of new Committee members.

Recruitment for the CCC’s new Chair will commence in the coming weeks and interviews to replace outgoing Committee members are currently underway.

BEIS has also recently confirmed the departure of Professor Nick Chater FBA, who has come to the end of his term. He is standing down from the CCC after more than six years of service.

During his tenure Professor Chater brought vast experience of behavioural science to the Committee. Most recently, he authored a briefing entitled ‘Net Zero after Covid: Behavioural Principles for Building Back Better’ which informed the CCC’s Sixth Carbon Budget advice, legislated by the UK Government in 2021.

Professor Nick Chater said:

“It has been an enormous privilege to work with the remarkably talented CCC team over the past six years, especially during a period when the 2050 Net Zero target was set, and the issue of climate change has become ever more urgent.”

Lord Deben, CCC Chairman, said:

“It has been a real pleasure to have Professor Chater’s unique insight on the Committee. In a momentous period, where climate change has risen up the public and political agendas, Nick’s expertise has been hugely useful as we’ve developed our advice to Government. I would like to extend my and the Committee’s sincere thanks for all that he has contributed over many years.”


Notes to editors

  1. Nick Chater is Professor of Behavioural Science at Warwick Business School. He has previously held the posts of Professor of Psychology at both Warwick University and University College London (UCL), and as Associate Editor for the journals: Cognitive Science, Psychological Review, Psychological Science and Management Science. Nick is co-founder and Director of Decision Technology Ltd, a research consultancy.
  2. The CCC’s mitigation committee advises the UK and devolved Governments on reducing emissions across the economy. Appointments are made by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) in collaboration with counterparts in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
  3. Lord Deben is on the left of the image, Professor Nick Chater in on the right of the image.

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Key organisations failing to tackle threat of cascading climate risks https://www.theccc.org.uk/2022/07/11/key-organisations-failing-to-tackle-threat-of-cascading-climate-risks/ Mon, 11 Jul 2022 11:48:50 +0000 https://www.theccc.org.uk/?p=38547 Many of the UK’s critical energy, water, digital and transport providers are struggling to take account of the climate-related risks to connected infrastructure systems which could lead to cascading failures in service provision if not addressed, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) says.

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Many of the UK’s critical energy, water, digital and transport providers are struggling to take account of the climate-related risks to connected infrastructure systems which could lead to cascading failures in service provision if not addressed, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) says.

That’s one of the findings of a new independent report by the CCC for the UK Government, assessing submissions from 90 organisations on the actions they are taking to tackle climate-related risks to their operations.

The submissions are provided under the Adaptation Reporting Power (ARP), a key provision of the Climate Change Act which enables Government to request reports on climate preparedness from key infrastructure providers. Respondents included National Grid, Network Rail, Highways England, the Environment Agency, London Heathrow Airport, UK Power Networks and Thames Water, amongst others.

Baroness Brown, Chair of the CCC’s Adaptation Committee said:

“Climate change poses a catalogue of risks to UK infrastructure. In this report we’ve uncovered a key gap in the country’s national adaptation planning: to varying degrees the organisations we have assessed are not prepared for cascading infrastructure failures. For example, a flood might damage an electricity substation which has a knock-on effect on the transport network due to a power outage. These dependencies, if disrupted, have potentially devastating consequences. The Government needs to help reporting organisations better understand and manage these risks. Prudent planning today can help avoid a domino-effect of failures in the future.”

Overall, the CCC’s assessment of the third round of submissions under the Adaptation Reporting Power (ARP) finds that:

  • The quality of organisations’ reporting has generally improved since the last round in 2016 but significant opportunities remain. Many sectors are producing high quality reports that provide useful information on their climate risks and adaptation actions; most risk assessments are based on the latest UK climate projections; many follow best practice by considering a range of future warming scenarios and timeframes; and progress has been made in adapting infrastructure since the last reporting round in 2016. However, information gaps exist due to inconsistent reporting on adaptation plans across organisations and there are areas for improvement, including more consistent linking of adaptation action to risks with clear ownership and timescales for action.
  • The Government has largely achieved its objectives for this reporting cycle, but gaps in coverage and unhelpful timings are undermining the value of the process. The Adaptation Reporting Power (ARP) is driving action on adaptation and reports show evidence of improved climate preparedness and senior-level ownership of climate risk management across all sectors. However, 20% of invited organisations did not submit a (voluntary) return, creating gaps in risk coverage. Less than 5% of ARP reports were available in time to inform two key statutory assessments in 2021 – the third UK Climate Change Risk Assessment, and the CCC’s 2021 Progress Report to Parliament on adaptation, undermining their value for improving UK climate risk policy.
  • The next reporting cycle must be strengthened to maximise its effectiveness in managing climate risk. A mandatory requirement for organisations to report would drive improved action on adaptation. Canals and reservoirs, wider aspects of the health and social care sector, relevant local authority functions and food supply chains should be included in the reporting cycle to provide a more complete picture of UK climate resilience. The timeline for the next ARP reporting round should be set to 2024 to inform the next (fourth) UK Climate Change Risk Assessment and associated National Adaptation Programme.

Notes to Editors

  1. The Adaptation Reporting Power (ARP) was established under the Climate Change Act to help understand climate risks and progress in adaptation. It enables the Government to request reports from critical infrastructure providers on the current and predicted effects of climate change on their organisation; their proposals for adapting to climate change; and progress made towards their implementation. The ARP is a key element of the adaptation policy cycle and provides a unique source for understanding the UK’s infrastructure-related climate risks.
  2. The CCC was commissioned by the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to assess the extent to which the ARP3 returns met the requirements set out in the Climate Change Act against Defra’s objectives and principles for this reporting round.

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Current programmes will not deliver Net Zero https://www.theccc.org.uk/2022/06/29/current-programmes-will-not-deliver-net-zero/ Tue, 28 Jun 2022 23:01:13 +0000 https://www.theccc.org.uk/?p=38243 As the UK prepares for a winter of extraordinary fuel bills, the Government has recommitted to Net Zero. The urgency of moving away from fossil fuels, securing energy supplies and cutting carbon emissions has never been clearer, but a new Progress Report by the independent Climate Change Committee (CCC) finds major failures in delivery programmes towards the achievement of the UK’s climate goals.

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As the UK prepares for a winter of extraordinary fuel bills, the Government has recommitted to Net Zero. The urgency of moving away from fossil fuels, securing energy supplies and cutting carbon emissions has never been clearer, but a new Progress Report by the independent Climate Change Committee (CCC) finds major failures in delivery programmes towards the achievement of the UK’s climate goals.

In a landmark 600-page assessment, the CCC has revamped its framework for monitoring the UK’s climate progress, focusing on the changes needed on the ground to achieve Net Zero. Across the economy, the CCC has developed detailed new progress indicators to assess the risks of Net Zero delivery.

Last year, the CCC applauded the Government for setting ambitious targets and launching a new Net Zero Strategy. Policies are now in place for most sectors of the economy, but a thorough review of progress finds scant evidence of delivery against these headline goals so far. There are some bright spots of progress, but in most areas the likelihood of under-delivery is high. This is a high-wire approach to Net Zero. For the UK’s climate lead to be effective, the world must have confidence that we will keep our promises and that we have a clear and effective programme to achieve our commitments.

CCC Chairman, Lord Deben, said: “The UK is a champion in setting new climate goals, now we must be world-beaters in delivering them. In the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, the country is crying out to end its dependence on expensive fossil fuels. I welcome the Government’s restated commitment to Net Zero, but holes must be plugged in its strategy urgently. The window to deliver real progress is short. We are eagle-eyed for the promised action.”

UK emissions are now almost half (47%) their 1990 levels. Emissions rose 4% in 2021 as the economy began to recover from COVID-19 but were still 10% below 2019 levels. Further progress must be led by Government policies with clear direction, credible delivery mechanisms and suitable incentives to shape private sector action. In no sector of the economy is this yet complete. Today’s report makes over 300 recommendations for filling out policies over the next year, reflecting the scale of the task at hand as the Government moves from strategy to implementation.

The areas of strongest progress are backed and led by well-designed Government policy:

  • Deployment of renewable electricity. Emissions from electricity generation have fallen by nearly 70% in the last decade. With offshore wind, business has shown that given the right market conditions and support it can cut costs dramatically and deploy low-carbon solutions rapidly.
  • Electric cars are being adopted in greater numbers each year. Their rise is already ahead of CCC and Government growth projections, showing that consumers and households are willing to adopt low-carbon options when offered a cost-effective, good quality product.

In other areas, low-carbon options remain in their infancy. Policy has not yet begun to guide the promised private sector action:

  • Energy efficiency in homes. Given soaring energy bills, there is a shocking gap in policy for better insulated homes. Government promised significant public spending in 2019 and committed to new policies last year, neither has yet occurred. The UK continues to have some of the leakiest homes in Europe and installations of insulation remain at rock bottom – the average annual energy bill for UK households is around £40 higher than if insulation rates from pre-2012 had continued for the last decade. Much now rests on the promised energy advice service, which must be a major undertaking that reaches millions of households and supports them through implementation of options to cut their bills and emissions.
  • Agriculture and land use have the weakest policies in the CCC’s assessment, despite being vital to delivering Net Zero and the Government’s other goals on food security and biodiversity. Progress in reducing farming emissions has been glacial. The Government’s Food Strategy of a fortnight ago did little to address these issues. They must be tackled in the new land use framework promised for next year.

In its first comprehensive appraisal of UK’s Net Zero Strategy, the CCC warns that:

  • The current strategy will not deliver Net Zero. Credible Government plans exist for over a third of the UK’s required emissions reductions to meet the Sixth Carbon Budget in the mid-2030s; with a fair wind we will manage another quarter; and over a third cannot be relied on to deliver the necessary emissions reductions.
  • Delivery must be actively managed. In any case, our plans must be based on realistic assessment. While some policies may be more successful than expected, not all policies will deliver. These risks cannot credibly be tackled with an even greater reliance on greenhouse gas removal technologies. The Government should develop contingency plans, such as encouraging reduced consumer demand for high-carbon activities (e.g., through healthier diets, or curbs to growth in demand for flights).
  • There has been slow progress on the cross-cutting enablers of progress. The Net Zero Strategy contains warm words on the wider enablers of the transition, but little progress. There is no public engagement strategy three years after the Net Zero target was signed into law; HM Treasury has yet to set out how the full range of costs and benefits of the transition will be shared – it must urgently review its tax strategy to support the Net Zero transition; comprehensive reform of planning legislation to reflect the UK’s international and national commitments to Net Zero is required; and we still await the urgently needed Future Homes Strategy. Bottlenecks, such as skills gaps and planning consents for infrastructure, should be anticipated and tackled early.
  • Local delivery. The CCC welcomes the new Local Net Zero Forum, but it remains unclear how central, devolved and local Government will operate in concert to deliver Net Zero.

The rest of the world must also get to grips with the delivery of Net Zero. UK success is doubly important as an example of what can be achieved, as a template for others to draw on. Effective delivery of Net Zero will be needed across the world if the Glasgow Climate Pact is to have the legacy that the UK aimed for at COP26 last year.

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Government’s Food Strategy ‘a missed opportunity’ for the climate https://www.theccc.org.uk/2022/06/13/governments-food-strategy-a-missed-opportunity-for-the-climate/ Mon, 13 Jun 2022 17:04:47 +0000 https://www.theccc.org.uk/?p=37593 The UK Government’s new Food Strategy falls well short of what is required to tackle polluting emissions from agriculture, land use and food production, and create a truly sustainable food system, the Climate Change Committee says.

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The UK Government’s new Food Strategy falls well short of what is required to tackle polluting emissions from agriculture, land use and food production, and create a truly sustainable food system, the Climate Change Committee says.

The 33-page document, published today, seeks to create a ‘more prosperous agri-food sector that delivers healthier, more home-grown and affordable diets.’

However, on first review, the CCC says the plan largely fails to deliver action to drive down emissions at the scale or pace required to achieve reductions in line with UK’s Net Zero pathway. There is also little mention of the adaptations needed in the food system to build resilience to the climate and weather extremes of the future.

CCC Chairman, Lord Deben, said:

“The Government’s Food Strategy will do precious little to tackle emissions from agriculture which is now one of the most serious contributors to climate change. The CCC has set out the case to improve the agricultural sector time and again. A wholesale rethink of how we use land in this country is needed to drive down emissions. That includes eating slightly less but better meat and dairy; widespread tree planting to soak up carbon dioxide emissions; and peatland restoration, alongside new approaches to farming. Instead, this Strategy fails to address these issues and relies almost entirely on innovation and technology to drive forward low-carbon agriculture and productivity improvements, many of which are untested and unproven. This is an opportunity wasted.”

The CCC will comment further on the Food Strategy in its 2022 Progress Report to Parliament, due to be published on 29 June.

 


 

Notes to editors

The CCC’s initial review of the UK Government’s Food Strategy suggests that:

    • On diets:
      • The CCC recommends a 20% reduction in meat and dairy by 2030 and 35% reduction for meat by 2050, eating better meat and plant-based alternatives. The CCC also advises societal level shifts new approaches in public sector settings such as schools and hospitals.
      • The Food Strategy emphasises the role of the individual to make healthy and sustainable choices and commits to provide information to consumers to support this shift.
      • Alternative proteins such as beans and pulses are recognised as an opportunity for growth that can complement the livestock sector. However, the strategy places emphasis on continuing livestock production via ‘sustainable approaches’ such as regenerative farming methods.
    • On sustainable farming:
      • CCC has previously set out that, while important, innovation and technological measures alone are not enough to reduce emissions from the agriculture and land use sectors. A strong policy framework is required to integrate innovation and technology alongside shifts in public diets.
      • In the absence of strong measures to address the changes required in diet and demand, the Food Strategy relies on innovation to decarbonise and increase productivity across food chains, though detail is lacking and puts emission reduction at risk
    • On land use:
      • The CCC says diet change has the biggest potential to change how land is used. This then releases land for carbon sequestration measures such as woodland creation, peatland restoration and energy crops and delivers wider benefits such as for climate adaptation and biodiversity. Meeting the CCC’s Net Zero pathway requires the release of 9% of agricultural land by 2035, and 21% by 2050.
      • By targeting least productive land for land use change, the Food Strategy states that domestic food production can be maintained while supporting environmental goals. However, targets are not set and a possible framework for future land use is deferred until 2023.

 

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Ministers appoint new members to CCC’s Adaptation Committee https://www.theccc.org.uk/2022/04/29/ministers-appoint-new-members-to-cccs-adaptation-committee/ Fri, 29 Apr 2022 12:36:29 +0000 https://www.theccc.org.uk/?p=37105 Three new expert members have been appointed to the Climate Change Committee’s (CCC) Adaptation Committee by the UK…

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Three new expert members have been appointed to the Climate Change Committee’s (CCC) Adaptation Committee by the UK Government and Governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Dr Ben Caldecott, Professor Nathalie Seddon and Dr Swenja Surminski will take up their roles on 1 May 2022 for a three-year term. They will lead the Adaptation Committee’s work on finance, the natural environment and business respectively, continuing the work of outgoing Committee Members Ece Ozdemiroglu, Rosalyn Schofield, Professor Kate Jones and the late Professor Dame Georgina Mace. There is a three-month crossover period between new and departing members to ensure continuity.

Chair of the Adaptation Committee, Baroness Brown of Cambridge, said:

“I am delighted to welcome Dr Caldecott, Prof. Seddon and Dr Surminski to the Adaptation Committee and congratulate them on their appointments. The growing recognition of the importance of adapting to climate change, and of the CCC’s work, was reflected in an impressive field of candidates for these roles. Ben, Nathalie and Swenja will help us build on the analysis underpinning the third UK Climate Change Risk Assessment, especially in the key areas of financing adaptation, the natural environment and business risk and preparedness. Their expertise will be invaluable as the UK seeks to shift the dial on improving its resilience to climate change.

“I would also like to warmly thank Ece Ozdemiroglu, Rosalyn Schofield, Prof. Kate Jones and the late Prof. Dame Georgina Mace. Their insight and dedication have been key to the Adaptation Committee’s success in offering robust, evidence-based advice to Government over many years and I’m very grateful for their contribution. I am also delighted they will be staying on until July to ensure a smooth transition.”


 

Notes to Editors

  1. Ben Caldecott is the founding Director of the Oxford Sustainable Finance Group and the inaugural Lombard Odier Associate Professor of Sustainable Finance at the University of Oxford. Ben is also the founding Director and Principal Investigator of the UK Centre for Greening Finance & Investment (CGFI), established by UK Research and Innovation in 2021 as the national centre to accelerate the adoption and use of climate and environmental data and analytics by financial institutions internationally.
  2. Nathalie Seddon is Professor of Biodiversity and Founding Director of the Nature-based Solutions Initiative in the Department of Biology at the University of Oxford. Nathalie trained as an ecologist at Cambridge University and has over 25 years of research experience in a range of ecosystems across the globe. As a University Research Fellow of the Royal Society, she developed broad research interests in the origins and maintenance of biodiversity and its relationship with global change. She holds a host of other positions, including Director of the Agile Initiative at the Oxford Martin School, co-Director of the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery, and Founding non-executive Director of the Oxford University Social Venture, Nature-based insetting.
  3. Swenja Surminski has been Head of Adaptation Research at the Grantham Research Institute at the London School of Economics (LSE), overseeing research projects on climate risk management, finance and resilience strategies since 2017. She is also Chair of the Munich Climate Insurance Initiative and a member of the Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance. Swenja has recently accepted a new role as Managing Director Climate and Sustainability at Marsh McLennan. Her work focuses on capacity building and knowledge transfer between science, policy and industry, building on her work in industry and as advisor to governments, private sector and civil society, including as Visiting Academic at the Bank of England.
  4. Ece Ozdemiroglu and Rosalyn Schofield will complete their terms on the Adaptation Committee in July 2022. They have been in post since 2016. Prof. Kate Jones joined the Committee as an expert adviser in February 2021 following the sad passing of Professor Dame Georgina Mace. There will be a three-month crossover period between new and departing members to ensure continuity.
  5. Appointments have been made in line with the guidance set out in the Ministerial Governance Code for Public Appointments.

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CCC responds to UK Government’s Energy Security Strategy https://www.theccc.org.uk/2022/04/07/ccc-responds-to-uk-governments-energy-security-strategy/ Thu, 07 Apr 2022 13:48:35 +0000 https://www.theccc.org.uk/?p=36971 The Climate Change Committee (CCC) has issued an initial response to the UK Government’s British Energy Security Strategy, published today.

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The Climate Change Committee (CCC) has issued an initial response to the UK Government’s British Energy Security Strategy, published today. CCC Director of Analysis, Mike Thompson, said:

“The Government has doubled down on its Net Zero Strategy today by accelerating plans to secure clean, green, UK-made energy.

“For perhaps the first time, the Government has made commitments that clearly go beyond CCC proposals in key low-carbon technologies: offshore wind, nuclear, hydrogen. The new commitments are hugely ambitious – they would see the UK produce more electricity from offshore wind in 2030 than it has produced from gas in any year in history. Government, business and industry will need to focus relentlessly on delivery at a scale and pace as yet unseen.

“Recognising the difficulties in implementing effective policy quickly, it is still disappointing not to see more on energy efficiency and on supporting households to make changes that can cut their energy bills now. Government has reiterated its commitment to do more and we look forward to seeing details in the coming months.

“Today’s proposals focus on energy supply and would bring us closer to meeting the Net Zero challenge. To shore up the UK’s energy security, they must be delivered alongside other plans in the Net Zero Strategy on how we use energy in our vehicles, our buildings and our industry. Energy security must also account for the changing climate. Adaptation will need more focus in the execution of today’s strategy than seen in its publication today.”

The CCC will review the Energy Security Strategy as part of its annual Progress Report to Parliament in June.

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Scotland is not yet climate ready, CCC says https://www.theccc.org.uk/2022/03/15/scotland-is-not-yet-climate-ready/ Tue, 15 Mar 2022 00:01:03 +0000 https://www.theccc.org.uk/?p=36663 Scotland’s climate is changing, but action to adapt to critical impacts such as wetter winters and rising sea levels has stalled, posing risks to people, infrastructure and business. That’s the finding of a new, independent assessment published today by the Climate Change Committee (CCC).

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Scotland’s climate is changing, but action to adapt to critical impacts such as wetter winters and rising sea levels has stalled, posing risks to people, infrastructure and business. That’s the finding of a new, independent assessment published today by the Climate Change Committee (CCC).

Over the last 30 years, average temperature in Scotland has risen by 0.5⁰C, Scottish winters have become 5% wetter and sea level around the Scottish coast has increased by up to 3cm each decade. Further climate change in Scotland is now inevitable, no matter how rapidly global greenhouse gas emissions are reduced. Further changes in the climate will bring impacts to every corner of Scotland.

The Scottish Government has set out a vision to adapt the nation and build its climate resilience in the second Climate Change Adaptation Programme (SCCAP2), but much more needs to be done to translate this ambition into real-world adaptation action. The CCC’s assessment highlights five areas where action to adapt and build resilience to climate change in Scotland is stalling:

  • Natural environment: Farmland makes up 73% of the land area of Scotland but there is no credible plan to adapt farmland habitats and species to a changing climate; rates of peatland restoration are falling well short of Government targets; River Basin Management plans do not include consideration of future climate change. Although there have been significant increases in marine protected areas around Scotland, there is still a mixed picture when it comes to the condition of marine mammals, birds, and fish.
  • Infrastructure: Plans in place to adapt Scotland’s infrastructure to climate change are insufficient. Ports, airports, telecoms, digital and ICT infrastructure all face substantial climate risks; the gap in planning how to maintain a weather-resilient energy system increasingly threatens the delivery of the Scottish Government’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets; infrastructure interdependencies can multiply the impacts of individual weather events but these are not yet being meaningfully incorporated into Scotland’s adaptation planning.
  • Built environment: Flood risk management plans do not include specific or measurable objectives for reducing flood risk and monitoring and evaluation frameworks are insufficient; data are not being collected on the number or location of new properties being built in flood risk areas; the majority of Scotland’s shoreline is not covered by Shoreline Management Plans, meaning most local authorities do not yet have a plan to manage coastal erosion risk.
  • Health: The increasing frequency and intensity of extreme high temperatures are not being adequately considered in key housing and buildings strategies; there are no plans for responding to climate change-induced increases in ‘vector-borne’ diseases, such as Lyme disease, despite notable increases in cases in recent years.
  • Business: There are no overarching plans and limited actions to prepare Scotland for supply chain disruption from climate change. There are also no measurable targets for reducing water demand by industry, despite risks of future droughts, and water abstraction data are not published. The economic opportunity of adapting to climate change is not well known.

The CCC recommends that the Scottish Government:

  • Drives action based on its vision for a well-adapted Scotland. Clear, time-bound and quantitative targets, with clear Government ownership, need to be set out to make Scotland’s adaptation vision drive sufficient action. This is essential for accountability. Adaptation needs to be embedded across the full range of Government activities.
  • Urgently improves monitoring and evaluation. Scotland lacks effective monitoring and evaluation systems meaning that changes in aspects of many climate-related risks are largely unknown. For adaptation plans to be effective these systems need to be created and implemented without delay.
  • Raises the level of adaptation response. Across Scotland there are numerous local-level initiatives that can form a blueprint for a stronger, adaptation response. There are also opportunities to extend Scotland’s leading position in considering how climate adaptation policy can be delivered fairly across society.

Chair of the CCC’s Adaptation Committee, Baroness Brown, said: “We commend the Scottish Government on its vision for a climate ready Scotland, but the reality is that action is not happening at the scale or pace required. In most sectors including the natural and built environments, health, infrastructure and business, action has stalled. Without a renewed sense of urgency, the significant changes we are already seeing in Scotland today will have impacts on all areas of Scottish society and nature in the years to come. Scotland needs to up its game by kickstarting delivery; introducing clear, measurable targets; improving monitoring and evaluation of climate risks and ensuring greater accountability for Government – it has some examples of good practice to build on.”

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CCC welcomes Government report assessing UK climate risk https://www.theccc.org.uk/2022/01/17/ccc-welcomes-government-report-assessing-uk-climate-risk/ Mon, 17 Jan 2022 12:20:55 +0000 https://www.theccc.org.uk/?p=35785 The Climate Change Committee (CCC) today welcomes the publication of the UK Government’s assessment of the risks and opportunities facing the UK from climate change.

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The Climate Change Committee (CCC) today welcomes the publication of the UK Government’s assessment of the risks and opportunities facing the UK from climate change.

The Government’s official Climate Change Risk Assessment report is based on the evidence and advice published in the CCC-led Independent Assessment of UK Climate Risk in June 2021.

The official report, laid before Parliament today, identifies eight priority risks which require urgent action:

  • Risks to the viability and diversity of terrestrial and freshwater habitats and species from multiple hazards.
  • Risks to soil health from increased flooding and drought.
  • Risks to natural carbon stores and sequestration from multiple hazards, leading to increased emissions.
  • Risks to crops, livestock and commercial trees from multiple climate hazards.
  • Risks to supply of food, goods and vital services due to climate related collapse of supply chains and distribution networks.
  • Risks to people and the economy from climate-related failure of the power system.
  • Risks to human health, wellbeing and productivity from increased exposure to heat in homes and other buildings.
  • Multiple risks to the UK from climate change impacts overseas.

Baroness Brown of Cambridge, Chair of the CCC’s Adaptation Committee, said: “We strongly welcome the Government’s Climate Change Risk Assessment which is based very closely on the CCC’s independent view of UK climate risk. But agreeing on the risks is one thing – taking action to address them is another. Building resilience to a cocktail of climate impacts facing our country, including flooding, drought, heat exposure and extreme weather events, is a mammoth task and we’re falling well behind. We look forward to seeing the Government’s action plan to shift the dial and deliver a well-adapted UK.”

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Kathryn Brown awarded OBE for pivotal work on climate adaptation https://www.theccc.org.uk/2021/12/31/kathryn-brown-awarded-obe-for-pivotal-work-on-climate-adaptation/ Fri, 31 Dec 2021 22:30:56 +0000 https://www.theccc.org.uk/?p=35615 The Climate Change Committee (CCC) is delighted to announce that Kathryn Brown, lately the CCC’s Head of Adaptation, has been awarded an OBE in the New Year’s Honours List for services to climate change research.

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The Climate Change Committee (CCC) is delighted to announce that Kathryn Brown, lately the CCC’s Head of Adaptation, has been awarded an OBE in the New Year’s Honours List for services to climate change research.

Kathryn, who is on secondment to The Wildlife Trusts as Interim Director for Climate Action, has worked at the CCC secretariat for over ten years. During this time she led the production of several progress reports to Parliament and advisory reports to Government, including analysis on water, health, biodiversity, emergency planning, agriculture and forestry.

Most recently, Kathryn led the delivery of the CCC’s Independent Assessment of UK Climate Risk to inform the UK Government’s statutory climate change risk assessment, due to be published in early 2022.

During the three-year project, Kathryn oversaw contributions from 500 external experts to produce 2000 pages of evidence, addressing 60 climate risks and opportunities across key sectors. The Government’s resulting risk assessment will lay the foundation for the next round of national adaptation programmes in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

She is also a visiting senior fellow at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and an affiliated researcher at the Stockholm Environment Institute.

Commenting on the news, Chair of the CCC’s Adaptation Committee, Baroness Brown of Cambridge, said:

“This OBE is so well deserved, and I know everyone working in climate change will be delighted to see Kathryn Brown recognised for her expertise, insight and dedication. For the past decade, Kathryn has been at the forefront of research on climate change adaptation, where she has made a unique and extensive contribution to the UK’s evidence base and understanding of climate risk. This award is testament to her resolve to shine a spotlight on this vital area of science and policy as the UK seeks to build its resilience to climate change, sector by sector. We send Kathryn our very warmest congratulations and thank her for her exemplary service.”

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