Weakening UK net zero policy would damage economy, chief climate adviser says | Climate Change Committee
Britain’s chief climate adviser has warned that weakening the UK’s net zero policy would disrupt business and damage the economy.
Nigel Topping, Chairman of the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), said: “U-turns are really damaging to investor confidence. If we really want to grow the economy then it’s crucial to invest and get good at building things.”
His intervention came after the CCC published its report. Final report presented to parliament on WednesdayAbout progress towards the goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The report finds that although progress towards renewable energy is going well and more people are switching to electric cars, the use of heat pumps is seriously lagging behind.
A recent report from the CBI found the net-zero economy is worth around £100bn a year to the UK, growing faster and producing higher-paying jobs than the rest of the economy, Topping said. “Our corporate infrastructure has been in existence since 2009. [2008] “We know that the consistency and consistency of the Climate Change Act and the actual direction and progress is crucial for the industry when making investment decisions,” he said.
Following Keir Starmer’s resignation, his potential successor Andy Burnham’s stance on green issues has come under renewed scrutiny. Burnham has previously supported offshore wind and renewable energy, but some of her advisers appear to be comparing her “reindustrialisation” proposal to the push for net zero, despite evidence from economists that the two are complementary rather than opposing.
Topping made clear that any attempt to dilute the UK’s clean economy drive would deter businesses and investors and increase dependence on fossil fuels, increasing the cost of living. “Decarbonization of the power system is largely complete,” he said. “All this work has been done, this is something we should celebrate as a country. This is not just an achievement, it is something that has been achieved beyond politics.”
The next prime minister should “stay the course” and move more quickly towards renewable energy, electric vehicles and heat pumps, which are cheaper than fossil fuel equivalents when used correctly. “This is where the real benefits come – [you can] It really unlocks a lot of savings, Topping said.
The report raised concerns about the introduction of heat pumps: although they are at least three times more efficient than gas boilers, they carry a hefty upfront price tag. And for consumers on some energy tariffs, these do not save money on bills because the structure of the energy market in the UK makes electricity more expensive than gas. CCC said installations in existing homes were up just 7% this year, compared to 56% the year before.
Yet the report found that heat pumps deliver the biggest savings (around £1,200 a year on energy bills for urban residents and £1,900 a year for rural homes reliant on oil heating) when used in conjunction with solar panels and electric vehicles. But these changes are generally only within the reach of better-off households.
Some heat pumps can also function as air conditioners; Interest increased as the year’s second record heat wave led to widespread blackouts, health warnings and school closures.
Topping called on the government to break the link between electricity prices and the cost of gas to reflect the true lower cost of electricity from renewable energy and make heat pumps more attractive to households. He also called for helping low-income households decarbonise and warned against disinformation misleading people about the benefits of heat pumps.
Jess Ralston, head of energy at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said high fossil fuel prices were encouraging people to switch to cleaner options. “We are seeing increasing interest from the British public in net zero technologies such as solar panels, EVs and home batteries,” he said. “But despite growing interest and increasing numbers, the UK is currently far behind countries such as Germany and France in switching to heat pumps.”
