UK Inquiry Tracker

Achieving Net Zero: Follow up

Public Accounts Committee Closed Inquiry

Opened: 21 Sep 2021 Closed: 26 Apr 2022 Parliament page

In March 2021 the Committee warned that Government has “no plan” for achieving Net Zero, two years after setting target in law . With the major international COP 26 climate conference hosted by the UK fast approaching, PAC will question senior officials at DBEIS and HM Treasury on how the … Read more

11 Recommendations

18 Conclusions

1 Report

2 Oral sessions

1 Letter

2 Events

Activity timeline 7 events

28 Apr
2022

Report published

Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Forty First report from Session 2021-22

2 Mar
2022

Report published

Forty-First Report - Achieving Net Zero: Follow up

18 Nov
2021

Correspondence

Correspondence from Sarah Munby, Permanent Secretary, Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, re follow up from Achieving Ne…

17 Nov
2021

Oral evidence

Achieving Net Zero: Follow up; Covid-19: Cost tracker update (+ Spending Review)

17 Nov
2021

Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House

Covid-19: Cost tracker update (+ Spending Review)

25 Oct
2021

Oral evidence

Achieving Net Zero: Follow up

25 Oct
2021

Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House

Achieving Net Zero: Follow up

Oral evidence sessions 2 sessions

17 Nov 2021

View on parliament.uk

Achieving Net Zero: Follow up; Covid-19: Cost tracker update (+ Spending Review)

Cat Little · Cabinet Office Conrad Smewing · HM Treasury Sir Tom Scholar · HM Treasury Steve Field · HM Treasury

25 Oct 2021

View on parliament.uk

Achieving Net Zero: Follow up

Ben Rimmington · Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Lee McDonough · Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Sarah Munby · Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Reports 1 report · click to expand

Title	HC No.	Published	Items	Response
Forty-First Report - Achieving Net Zero: Follow up	HC 642	2 Mar 2022	29	Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

2 results

27 Recommendation Rejected

Forty-First Report - Achieving Net…

In its 2020 report Achieving net zero, the NAO stated that neither the Department nor...

In its 2020 report Achieving net zero, the NAO stated that neither the Department nor HM Treasury collated information on the total costs and benefits of government policies that contribute to achieving net zero.96 HM Treasury told us that costs … Read more In its 2020 report Achieving net zero, the NAO stated that neither the Department nor HM Treasury collated information on the total costs and benefits of government policies that contribute to achieving net zero.96 HM Treasury told us that costs associated with achieving the Nationally Determined Contribution (which commits the UK to reducing economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions by at least 68% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels), achieving the Sixth Carbon Budget, contributing to international climate finance, and any UK commitments made at COP26 are already covered either in the current Spending Review settlement, or will be covered by future spending reviews.97 HM Treasury also told us that the Climate Change Committee produces cost estimates over much longer periods, for example 30 years, and the Office for Budgetary Responsibility produces an official estimate of the future costs of climate adaptation and mitigation in its fiscal risks report over an even longer time horizon of 50 years.98 However, HM Treasury cautioned that such estimates contain ‘heroic assumptions’ with errors compounding over potentially very long periods.99 It concluded in its Net Zero Review that costs and benefits will not fall 88 HM Treasury, Net Zero Review Final Report, October 2021, para 2.33 89 IFRS, IFRS Foundation announces International Sustainability Standards Board, consolidation with CDSB and VRF, and publication of prototype disclosure requirements 90 Qq 109–110 91 Net Zero Strategy, page 254, para 30 92 Q 62 93 Q 63 94 Q 64–65 95 Net Zero Strategy, page 254, para 30 96 Q 70; C&AG’s Report, para 17 97 Qq 87–92; UK Government, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland’s Nationally Determined Contribution, 2020 98 Qq 95–96, 105–107 99 Q 95, 97 18 Achieving Net Zero: Follow up evenly, but that it was impossible to forecast how individual households would be affected over the thirty-year transition given consumer costs would be driven by factors including incomes, prefer Show less

Government Response

The government disagrees with the recommendation, but will write to the Committee by Autumn 2022 setting out the processes for reporting the implementation of net zero policies, including a summary of internal reporting governance.

HM Treasury

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29 Recommendation Rejected

Forty-First Report - Achieving Net…

In addition to direct costs to the Exchequer of achieving net zero, HM Treasury also...

In addition to direct costs to the Exchequer of achieving net zero, HM Treasury also recognises the impact of behaviour change reducing tax revenues. Revenues from Fuel Duty and Vehicle Excise Duty amounted to £37 billion in 2019–20, and if … Read more

Government Response

The government disagrees with the Committee’s recommendation but will write to the Committee by Autumn 2022 setting out the processes for reporting the implementation of the government’s net zero policies, including to Parliament.

HM Treasury

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Government Response AI assessment · 29 of 11 classified

Accepted 12

Acknowledged 14

Not Addressed 1

Rejected 2

Total 11 recs + 18 conclusions

Correspondence 1 letter

18 Nov 2021 Correspondence from Sarah Munby, Permanent Secretary, Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, re follow up from Achieving Net Zero hearing on 25 October, dated 15 October 2021

Parliament page