The British government has been hit by a double whammy of reports from MPs criticising its performance on climate change. The influential Public Accounts Committee (PAC) says ministers have “no plan” to meet climate change targets, two years after setting them in law. They noted that ministers still don’t have a coordinated strategy to achieve the goal of removing almost all the carbon emissions from Britain by 2050. In addition, the business committee says the vital UN climate conference scheduled for Glasgow in November will fail unless its goals are made clear.
The government claims that both reports are inaccurate and unfair. The report notes that the government intends to publish what the MPs call a “plethora” of strategies setting out how it will reduce emissions in sectors ranging from transport to heating buildings. However, some policies haven’t been agreed upon as yet.
The MPs say the Treasury has changed its guidance to ensure departments place greater emphasis on the environmental impacts of their policies, but haven’t explained how this will work in practice. They also observe that the government is not yet ensuring that its activities to reduce emissions in Britain are not simply transferring those emissions overseas – where so many of the carbon-intensive goods bought in Britain’s shops are made. They also blame the government for failing to engage with the public.
“The government has set itself a huge test in committing the UK to a net zero economy by 2050 – but there is little sign that it understands how to get there. We must see a clear path plotted, with interim goals set and reached – it will not do to dump our emissions on poorer countries to hit UK targets. Our new international trade deals, the levelling up agenda – all must fit in the plan to reach net zero. COP26 (the vital climate conference in Glasgow in November) is a few months away. The eyes of the world, its scientists and policymakers are on the UK – big promises full of fine words won’t stand up,” said Meg Hillier, the committee’s Labour chairwoman.
