UK Inquiry Tracker

Achieving Net Zero

Public Accounts Committee Closed Inquiry

Opened: 17 Dec 2020 Closed: 17 May 2021 Parliament page

In June 2019, government committed in law to achieving ‘net zero’ greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, to deliver on the commitments it made in signing the Paris Agreement in 2016. Government also aimed to set an example for other countries to follow in the run-up to hosting the 26th United … Read more In June 2019, government committed in law to achieving ‘net zero’ greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, to deliver on the commitments it made in signing the Paris Agreement in 2016. Government also aimed to set an example for other countries to follow in the run-up to hosting the 26th United Nations’ Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), now due to take place in Glasgow in November 2021, having been postponed from November 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Aiming for net zero represents an increase in the level of ambition from government’s previous 2008 emissions reduction target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80%, compared with 1990 levels, by 2050. Between 2008 and 2018, the UK’s emissions reduced by 28%, faster than any other G20 economy. The NAO has recently described reducing emissions further, to achieve net zero, as a “colossal challenge” that will require wide-ranging changes to the UK economy, including further investment in renewable electricity generation, as well as changing the way people travel, how land is used and how buildings are heated. The UK’s emissions are currently projected to exceed government’s targets for the years 2023 to 2027 and 2028 to 2032, though government plans to announce policies aimed at closing these gaps. Even faster progress is needed to get to net zero by 2050, including changes to the way electricity is generated, how people travel, how land is used and how buildings are heated. The costs of achieving net zero are highly uncertain. The Climate Change Committee estimated in 2019 that the annual costs of achieving net zero could increase over time, to around 1-2% of GDP in 2050. BEIS is developing its own estimates of what net zero will cost between now and 2050, with this likely to be hundreds of billions of pounds. HM Treasury will investigate how these costs could fall between government, businesses and individuals, as part of a review which will conclude in 2021. However, the costs of inaction would be far greater because of the need to adapt to substantial climate change, such as building flood defences and dealing with the health impacts of higher temperatures. The Climate Change Committee has suggested there are also wider benefits of achieving net zero, such as improvements to human health and enhanced biodiversity. This inquiry will build on the Committee’s work on how well Government is organised to deliver long term environmental goals . The Committee will question senior officials at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and the Treasury, on plans and readiness to achieve net zero by 2050. If you have evidence on these issues, please submit it here by 6pm on Thursday 21 January 2021. Show less

9 Recommendations

14 Conclusions

1 Report

1 Oral session

3 Letters

1 Event

Activity timeline 6 events

18 Nov
2021

Correspondence

Correspondence from Steve Field Director, Climate, Energy and Environment, HM Treasury, re written update on the Net Zero Announcement at A…

31 Aug
2021

Report published

Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Forty-sixth report from Session 2019-21

18 May
2021

Correspondence

Correspondence from Tom Scholar, Permanent Secretary, HM Treasury, re Forty Sixth report of session 2019-2021 – Achieving Net Zero

5 Mar
2021

Report published

Forty-Sixth Report - Achieving Net Zero

23 Feb
2021

Correspondence

Correspondence from Sarah Munby, Permanent Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy, re Response …

28 Jan
2021

Oral evidence

Achieving Net Zero

Oral evidence sessions 1 session

28 Jan 2021

View on parliament.uk

Achieving Net Zero

Julian Critchlow · Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Sarah Munby · Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Steve Field · HM Treasury

Reports 1 report · click to expand

Title	HC No.	Published	Items	Response
Forty-Sixth Report - Achieving Net Zero	HC 935	5 Mar 2021	23	Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

23 results

2 Recommendation Accepted

Forty-Sixth Report - Achieving Net…

The Department is not yet reporting on the programmes across government that are crucial to...

The Department is not yet reporting on the programmes across government that are crucial to the delivery of net zero in a way that enables Parliament or the public to scrutinise progress. In early 2019, government established new arrangements for … Read more

Government Response

The government agrees and will set out in more detail the metrics it will track towards net zero as part of its comprehensive Net Zero Strategy by Winter 2021, building on existing annual projections.

HM Treasury

Achieving Net Zero

Activity timeline 6 events

Oral evidence sessions 1 session

Reports 1 report · click to expand

Recommendations & Conclusions

The Department is not yet reporting on the programmes across government that are crucial to...

HM Treasury has not yet clarified how it will ensure net zero is given adequate...

Government does not have a clear way of determining whether its actions to reduce emissions...

Government has not adequately communicated to the general public the changes that individuals will need...

The Department has not sufficiently engaged with local authorities on their role in the achievement...

On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence...

The government originally planned to publish many of its strategies during 2020.

In early 2019, government established new coordination arrangements for the departments involved in achieving net...

We asked what the Department was doing to ensure that it would be able to...

We asked the Department about the recent decision to allow deep coal mining in Whitehaven,...

Net zero is an all-encompassing challenge that will affect every part of government.

The Treasury’s Green Book guidance requires all policy, programme and project proposals to consider environment...

We asked what impact measures such as the Green Book guidance had on major infrastructure...

We asked the Treasury why, in its updated Green Book, it had not introduced a...

Limiting global temperature rises to reduce the climate change impacts will require a global reduction...

We asked how the Department would ensure that the impact of the UK’s progress towards...

We asked about the feasibility of a tax based on carbon embedded in imports (a...

Achieving net zero will depend on people changing their habits and lifestyles, adopting new technologies,...

We asked the Department what it was doing to ensure the step change needed by...

Government investment in new technologies, such as carbon capture and storage, could benefit particular regions...

Local authorities have a key role to play in achieving net zero.

In written evidence, the LGA told us that there was a long-term funding gap in...

The Department acknowledged that it needed to consider place-related aspects to achieving net zero and...

Government Response AI assessment · 21 of 9 classified

Correspondence 3 letters