The new climate plan was end announced at the end of October by the Government as its Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan. The plan sets out how the UK will continue to reduce emissions in a way that lowers bills and secures good jobs, in line with the 2008 Climate Change Act. This framework has been supported by Britain’s leading businesses, trade unions, and civil society organisations because it creates a stable environment for investment in clean energy.
Since the UK introduced the Act, it has been emulated around the world with 60 other countries now adopting their own climate legislation. The government believes that the framework created by the Act has helped to secure billions in investment, and this new climate plan sets out how the British public and businesses stand to benefit in the years ahead with economic growth, cleaner air and protecting the nation’s natural environment for current and future generations.
According to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) the UK is a global leader in decarbonisation and securing investment in clean energy industries, with the UK’s net zero sectors growing three times faster than the economy overall. Since 1990 the UK has reduced emissions by over 50% while growing the economy by over 80%. This is alongside over £50 billion of private investment announced into clean energy industries since last July, with the clean energy workforce set to double to more than 800,000 people by the end of the decade. Ed Miliband Secretary of State said: “….It would be negligent to leave our children and grandchildren to face energy insecurity and climate breakdown. By providing clarity and certainty on how Britain will seize these opportunities, this plan will help unlock the investment we need in clean energy, jobs and growth at home. And it will strengthen our position as a climate leader so we can push others internationally to take the action needed to avoid disaster.”
Reacting to the government’s new climate plan, Friends of the Earth’s chief executive, Asad Rehman, said:”with extreme weather events increasingly battering the planet – just as we’re seeing in Jamaica and Cuba right now – and hitting those who’ve done least to cause the crisis hardest, here and overseas, strong climate action has never been more urgent”.
Rehman went in to say: “there are some encouraging signs that, at long last, we have a government ready to step up and get the UK’s climate targets back on track. But we won’t know for sure until we have studied the full detail of the plan…Crucially, the government has signalled that it recognises that meaningful climate action isn’t just a legal duty – it’s a massive social and economic opportunity too. Done right, it can deliver cheaper bills, warmer homes and thousands of good green jobs. This would help tackle the deep inequality felt across the country and build a fairer, more prosperous future…The last two climate plans were ruled unlawful after legal action by Friends of the Earth, ClientEarth and Good Law Project. Let’s hope this time they’ve got it right.”
Read more about Friends of the Earth’s reaction to the new climate plan here.