7 Acknowledged

The Government must make sure its cross-departmental arrangements offer the clarity, authority and consistency required...

Recommendation
The Government must make sure its cross-departmental arrangements offer the clarity, authority and consistency required to deliver the Seventh Carbon Budget. As emissions reductions must accelerate sharply in the 2030s, delivery will depend on sustained, coordinated action across multiple departments and policy areas. Strong central leadership and clear mechanisms for collective responsibility are needed to avoid departmental priorities and policy signals diverging, undermining confidence in delivery of the carbon budget. (Conclusion, Paragraph 50)
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the importance of strong cross-government coordination and states that existing frameworks and central leadership are in place, also committing to carefully consider the Committee’s recommendations for strengthening cross-government delivery when developing the CB7 plan.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government Acknowledged
The government recognises the importance of strong cross-government coordination to support effective delivery of the seventh carbon budget. Decarbonisation impacts are already considered in major decisions, and we have a robust framework that tracks policy delivery on an ongoing basis. This allows us to unblock issues across government and take remedial action where necessary to remain on track. DESNZ’s coordinating role in delivering CB7 and net zero is supported at the centre of government. The Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer are committed to ensuring that departments work together to meet carbon budgets. In line with the requirements set out in the Act, the government will publish a delivery plan for CB7 as soon as reasonably practicable after Parliament has decided on the CB7 budget level. This is to allow adequate time for CB7 policies and proposals to be developed further—noting that the start of the CB7 period will still be 12 years away—and presented in a delivery plan which meets the legal requirements of Section 14 of the Act. The government will consider views expressed by Parliament in the course of considering the CB7 level when preparing this delivery plan. Following the setting of the CB7 level, there will be a cross-government process to develop the delivery plan. Government will carefully consider the Committee’s recommendations for strengthening cross-government delivery.
Timeline
Recommendation age 0.4 yrs
Report published 04 Mar 2026