The Climate Change Committee’s 2024 progress report to parliament today shows how badly off track the UK currently is.
While the country’s emissions are now less than half the levels they were in 1990 – largely due to the phase out of coal and the ramping up of renewables – getting to net zero is rather harder. Only a third of the remaining emissions reductions required to achieve the 2030 target are currently covered by credible plans, the Climate Change Committee says.
The committee has set out 10 recommendations. Top among these are to make electricity cheaper, reverse recent policy rollbacks and ramp up rates of tree planting and peatland restoration.
It says that annual offshore wind installations needs to increase by at least three times, onshore wind installations will need to double and solar installations must increase by five times by 2030.
Approximately 10% of existing homes in the UK will need to be heated by a heat pump, compared to only approximately 1% today. There are roughly 30 million homes in the UK. To hit 10% by 2030 will mean fitting around 1,600 heat pumps a day, seven days a week for five years.
The Climate Change CommitteeIt also says that the market share of new electric cars needs to increase from 16.5% in 2023 to nearly 100% by 2030.
Piers Forster, interim chair of the Climate Change Committee, said: “The country’s 2030 emissions reduction target is at risk. The new government has an opportunity to course-correct, but it will need to be done as a matter of urgency to make up for lost time. They are off to a good start. Action needs to extend beyond electricity, with rapid progress needed on electric cars, heat pumps and tree planting.
“The transition to net zero can deliver investment, lower bills, and energy security. It will help the UK keep its place on the world stage. It is a way for this government to serve both the people of today and the people of tomorrow.”
David Hawkes, interim associate director of policy at the Institution of Civil Engineers, said: "Delays, reversals, and inconsistent plans have hindered the UK’s decarbonisation progress. Despite this, the UK has reduced emissions by more than half. But with the roll out of many low-carbon technologies behind schedule, the new government is going to have to act fast to meeting the 2030 target.
"The focus must shift to supporting public behaviour changes and adapting the UK’s existing infrastructure for climate change. Two key things the government could do are: address barriers to installing heat pumps and buying electric cars; and make the Adaptation Reporting Power from the UK Climate Change Act mandatory.
"Long-term, consistent plans, backed up by sensible policies are key to reaching net zero."
The full report can be found at: www.theccc.org.uk/publication/progress-in-reducing-emissions-2024-report-to-parliament
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