Forty-First Report - Achieving Net Zero: Follow up

Select Committee
Public Accounts Committee HC 642 2 March 2022
Report Status Government responded
Conclusions & Recommendations 29 items (11 recs)
Source View on Parliament website
Government Response (AI assessment · 29 of 29 classified)
Accepted 12
Acknowledged 14
Not Addressed 1
Rejected 2
Clear

Recommendations

8 results
2 Accepted
Significant uncertainty remains as to whether consumers will rapidly change their behaviours in line with...
Recommendation
Significant uncertainty remains as to whether consumers will rapidly change their behaviours in line with the expectations of government’s Net Zero Strategy. For government to achieve net zero by 2050 requires extensive consumer engagement with its policies and behaviour change … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government agreed to include consumer take-up relative to expectations and how different social groups are being impacted in its annual progress updates, conduct scenario planning for consumer take-up shortfalls, and evaluate the causes of any consumer take-up shortfalls; this will be implemented by Autumn 2022.
HM Treasury
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4 Accepted
We are disappointed by government’s apparent lack of urgency in clarifying how it will work...
Recommendation
We are disappointed by government’s apparent lack of urgency in clarifying how it will work with local government to achieve net zero. We have previously reported that local authorities have significant scope to influence emissions in their local area, but … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government states that the Net Zero Strategy already sets out how it will work with local government, by creating a Local Net Zero Forum and exploring simplifying funds for net zero initiatives at the local level.
HM Treasury
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5 Accepted
We are concerned that neither the private sector nor the civil service yet have the...
Recommendation
We are concerned that neither the private sector nor the civil service yet have the necessary skills to deliver the Net Zero Strategy. The Department acknowledges that the private sector does not currently have the skills to deliver key aspects … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government agreed to set out its strategy for encouraging the private sector workforce to develop skills needed for net zero, drawing on the Green Jobs Taskforce recommendations, and work with the Cabinet Office to analyze and fill civil service skills gaps through cross-departmental working, training, or recruitment; this will be implemented by Spring 2023.
HM Treasury
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6 Accepted
Increasing focus on its domestic Net Zero Strategy should not detract government from leading global...
Recommendation
Increasing focus on its domestic Net Zero Strategy should not detract government from leading global action to tackle climate change. Climate change is a global challenge which requires a global solution. Government aims to lead by example domestically to help … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government plans to help empower people to make informed choices about the goods and products they buy by exploring how the government better labels these with their emission intensity and environmental impact, including work with the FCA, product labeling, and exploring environmental labeling within food production and disposal.
HM Treasury
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1 Accepted
We took evidence from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (the Department), and...
Recommendation
We took evidence from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (the Department), and HM Treasury, on government’s Strategy to achieve net zero by 2050 and how it will fund the transition to a green economy.
Government Response Summary
The Treasury will continue to conduct a routine review of COVID-19 costs and provide annual public updates for the next two years, including loan costs and costs of specific public services measures.
HM Treasury
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14 Accepted
The Strategy sets out plans for how central government will work with local government in...
Recommendation
The Strategy sets out plans for how central government will work with local government in pursuit of net zero.49 The Department will take overall responsibility for improving coordination with local government and other local actors on the design and delivery … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government states that the Net Zero Strategy already sets out how it will work with local government, by creating a Local Net Zero Forum and exploring simplifying funds for net zero initiatives at the local level.
HM Treasury
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16 Accepted
The Energy Systems Catapult highlighted the importance of expanding local authority competence and resources to...
Recommendation
The Energy Systems Catapult highlighted the importance of expanding local authority competence and resources to ensure the capacity and capability to conduct project appraisal and to access funding to help deliver net zero.59 The Department explained that local net zero … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government agreed to create a Local Net Zero Forum by Summer 2022 to discuss local net zero issues with local government, and explore simplifying and consolidating funds for local net zero initiatives.
HM Treasury
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18 Accepted
The civil service also needs to ensure it has people with the right skills to...
Recommendation
The civil service also needs to ensure it has people with the right skills to address net zero challenges.69 We previously reported that some departments had failed to provide detailed assessments of the climate impacts of their capital expenditure plans … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government plans to work with industry to create the skilled workforce needed to deliver climate targets, including green apprenticeships, retraining bootcamps, setting up the Green Jobs Delivery Group with industry, and publishing a climate and sustainability strategy for education and children’s’ services, while also providing new training offers for all civil servants.
HM Treasury
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7 Conclusion Accepted
Although the Strategy relies on private investment, government does not have a good track record of providing investor confidence in climate policy.18 For example, government set out plans for zero carbon homes in 2006, but cancelled these in 2015.19 Even today, on the back of Net Zero and COP 26 …
Government Response Summary
The government will develop monitoring levels of private investment attracted into Net Zero sectors, taking action to address failures, and provide certainty to investors through net zero sector roadmaps; Automotive , CCUS and Hydrogen Investor Roadmaps have been published.
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8 Conclusion Accepted
Despite its track record, the Department considers that the Strategy will have greater permanence than previous climate policies that have subsequently been reduced or withdrawn.24 This is partly because the Strategy was developed in conjunction with HM Treasury’s 2021–2 to 2024–5 multi-year spending review, and partly because it contains long-term …
Government Response Summary
The government will develop monitoring levels of private investment attracted into Net Zero sectors, taking action to address failures, and provide certainty to investors through net zero sector roadmaps; Automotive , CCUS and Hydrogen Investor Roadmaps have been published.
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12 Conclusion Accepted
We previously reported in 2021 that local authorities have a key role to play in achieving net zero as they have significant scope to influence emissions in their area, by leading decarbonisation of sectors such as housing and transport, and by influencing local businesses and residents to take climate action. …
Government Response Summary
The government states that the Net Zero Strategy already sets out how it will work with local government, by creating a Local Net Zero Forum and exploring simplifying funds for net zero initiatives at the local level.
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25 Conclusion Accepted
The Strategy commits government to providing an annual public update on progress made in the previous year towards net zero. This will include progress against the ‘targets and ambitions’ set out in the strategy, commentary on contextual changes that might affect the expected pathway to meeting decarbonisation commitments, and a …
Government Response Summary
The government states that the Net Zero Strategy already commits to providing an annual public update on implementation progress, including the items the committee recommends.
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