The Climate Change Committee (CCC) recently released their annual progress report for 2024, examining the UK government’s environmental progress over the past year.

This year’s report is unique and comments on many potential changes and actions that could occur with the new Labour government, but still maintains a comprehensive view of the scope of actions required.

The report does not comment directly on our industry or clean air efforts, but the priority actions are key for the UK’s transition to net zero, with the recommendation to ramp up tree planting being of particular significance.

Urgent action is needed to get on track for the UK’s 2030 target

In the report, the CCC applaud current progress whilst highlighting that more must be done for targets to be hit. Much of the reduction results from the coal-fired power station closures, with the final station due to close later this year. Further action is required so that the UK does not falter following significant progress and we can get back on track to meeting our targets.

The CCC praise last year’s efforts but assess that only a third of emissions reductions required to achieve our 2023 target are ‘covered by credible plans’. Uncertain policies or targets with a lack of action undercut current actions and the CCC have assessed the remaining two-thirds of emissions reductions must have credible, achievable plans behind them.

Priority actions

The CCC highlight ten actions that they urge the government to prioritise:

Make electricity cheaper

Reverse recent policy rollbacks.

Remove planning barriers for heat pumps, electric vehicle charge points and onshore wind

Introduce a comprehensive programme for decarbonisation of public sector buildings

Effectively design and implement the upcoming renewable energy CfD auctions.

Accelerate electrification of industrial heat.

Ramp up tree planting and peatland restoration.

Finalise business models for large-scale deployment of engineered removals.

Publish a strategy to support skills.

Strengthen NAP3

Emissions and the Third Carbon Budget

The strength of the UK’s legal framework has been demonstrated by the Third Carbon Budget being achieved – territorial emissions have been reduced to less than half the levels in 1990, so it is evident that legislative emissions reductions are successful.

The proven track record of legislative emissions reduction, however, comes with an important caveat: the largest contributor to the reduced emissions since 2008 has come from energy sectors. The phase-out of coal and increased use of renewable energies have contributed to more than half of the UK’s emissions reductions.

The CCC expect three-quarters of future reductions to come from other sectors, necessitated by energy sector reductions having been significantly reduced over the past years. Transport, buildings, architecture, and land are named as important sectors that will contribute, but the CCC note how their reduction efforts must be accelerated for targets to be achieved.

2023 saw an increase in the rate of emissions reductions, with just over 50% (12 MtCO2e) of the reductions stemming from non-electricity supply reductions. This is approximately double the average reduction across past seven years (6 MtCO2e).

The CCC’s report states that future emissions reductions must be driven by increased, target-hitting tree planting, peatland restoration, sustained decarbonisation actions, and the rapid, accelerated deployment of low-carbon technologies across a range of sectors.

Delivery indicators

The CCC assess delivery of emissions reductions through four key indicators, stating that all four indicators are behind in their required adoption: battery-electric cars (stagnated growth), offshore wind installations (slowed installation rates), heat pump installations in homes (insufficient adoption rates), and tree planting (significantly behind targets).

Cost is highlighted as a limiting factor for low-carbon technologies, indicating that support, incentives, education, and legislative requirements are needed to push consumers and organisations towards key technologies.

Tree planting rates across the UK are falling behind and must be significantly accelerated – only two-thirds of the trees projected in the UK’s Third Carbon Budget and less than half what is required by 2025.

Policy assessment

The CCC assess that rapid action is needed to get back on track due to the previous government’s insufficient policies and plans. To achieve the UK’s targets by 2030, policy reversals and inconsistent messaging needs to be recovered from; the previous government’s inaction and confusing messaging surrounding the climate crisis undermined efforts and this must be rapidly fixed, which is no easy task.

Consumer confidence and public support for net zero are determined to be clashing – whilst the public largely advocate for net zero policies, previous policies that claimed to make the transition to net zero more affordable yet lacked the evidence to demonstrate so was found to undermine confidence and hinder the development of UK supply chains.

Next steps

A clear commitment to net zero with strong, evidence-based policy and active efforts to remove existing and future barriers to deployment is deemed essential by the CCC. This integral first step will build confidence across all groups – investors, businesses, and consumers – which will in turn strengthen markets, increase adoption, and lead to further innovation.

The progress report notes how the UK public are supportive of climate measures and that legislative frameworks exist to help accelerate much-needed aspects of carbon reduction. The new Labour Government have an opportunity to rebuild confidence and consensus in government. Many new Cabinet Ministers have spoken of their commitment to the environment – this commitment across departments will help departments work together to achieve common climate goals.

Whilst this year’s progress report does not comment on air quality or clean air commitments, the key delivery indicators will impact air quality and align with HETAS’s goal of working together for a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable environment.

As an industry-leading not-for-profit organisation supporting the safe and environmentally responsible use of biomass and solid fuel appliances, we are a trusted advisor to all UK governments and devolved administrations. Our position, gained from our years of technical expertise and the excellent services our registrants plus certificated scheme members provide, allow us to inform policy decisions and have a strong influence on a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable future for domestic and non-domestic burning.

Keep up to date on the latest industry news by visiting our latest news pages.