The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) received a response from the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, clarifying that the recent changes in net zero policy aimed to address concerns about the cost to families and ensure public support.
While the government maintains its commitment to net zero, the committee seeks further details, expressing concerns about decarbonisation pathways, energy efficiency and the potential impact of policy changes on emissions reductions.
EAC Chair Philip Dunne said: “I welcome the Secretary of State’s acknowledgement that scrutiny of decarbonisation pathways could be improved: the committee looks forward to working constructively with ministers to improve parliamentary scrutiny processes in this regard.
“It is nevertheless disappointing that many of the committee’s specific questions have been left unanswered. A detailed response showing the impact on future emissions would have assisted our scrutiny of the revised timeframes for the phasing out of petrol and diesel vehicles and of fossil fuel boilers, and the potential impact of these changes on the emissions reductions required to meet net zero.
“We hope that further detail will be provided in the forthcoming Government response to the Climate Change Committee’s 2023 Progress Report on emissions reductions. Energy efficiency remains a significant concern of the committee.”
