Climate Change Committee - 7th Carbon Budget Launch
ADEPT CEO, Hannah Bartram reflects on the launch of the Climate Change Committee’s 7th Carbon Budget earlier in the year and examines the importance of a green economy with a healthy environment and resilient places.
If you were near St-Martin-in-the-Fields near The National Gallery on 26th February, you may have spotted small groups of people looking for the entrance to the venue trying to get in for the launch of the Climate Change Committee’s 7th Carbon Budget.
Once we had all navigated that initial challenge, there was a real buzz in the room as Interim Chair of the Climate Change Committee (CCC), Professor Piers Forster began the proceedings.
The UK’s Climate Change Act (2008) set out the framework for domestic action to address climate change mitigation and adaptation. Government must propose regular, legally binding milestones on the way to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions, known as Carbon Budgets. The role of the CCC is to provide evidence-based advice to Government on the level of these. It provides an overview of progress to date and monitors key indicators of change helping to set recommendations for the country to meet the legal net zero target.
The 7th Carbon Budget launched this year relates to the period 2038-2042, eight years before 2050; the year that the UK has committed to for reaching net zero.
After introductions by Professor Forster, Emma Pinchbeck, who began her role as CEO of the CCC in November 2024, talked through the headlines of the report.
The 7th Carbon Budget report
In summary, the CCC is bullish in its outlook and considers that whilst ambitious, the 43 recommendations in the report are deliverable provided action is taken rapidly. There was a clear message that a strong economy and a strong environment go hand in hand. In addition, the report recognised that the UK must also step up actions to adapt to the climate change that is already happening; the impacts of which are being felt across the country in greater numbers of extreme weather events and higher temperatures.
Emma made the point that the UK has achieved its first three carbon budgets, driven by the phase-out of coal and the ramp-up of renewable electricity generation. Building on this, the CCC considers that the 7th Carbon Budget will be delivered via five routes:
- Electricity
- Low-carbon fuels and carbon capture and storage (CCS)
- Nature
- Engineered removals
- Demand
The report sets a pathway, and associated actions, to hit the targets and the government must propose the 7th Carbon Budget to Parliament for approval before June 30th 2026.
After the review of the contents of the report and the action points proposed there were questions from the audience – including comments from TV chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Rain Newton-Smith, the CEO of the CBI and former Green MP Caroline Lucas.
Questions and comments included how to tackle emissions from agriculture and also from aviation, particularly pertinent given that the Gatwick Airport expansion was in the news at the time.
Emma was also clear that the CCC were not advocating extreme lifestyle changes like a completely meat-free diet. Although she did suggest that if you are currently eating meat every day, by 2040 you will be more likely to have two meat-free days per week.
Emma finished with a memorable call to arms, “We could be the nation that engineers a new electricity age.” Talking to the people around me at the end, we all felt positive and energised by what we’d just heard.
Looking ahead
The government has an unparalleled opportunity to empower local authorities to deliver at pace and scale their environmental and climate ambitions via the Devolution Bill, which is due to be published before the summer recess.
We will have a great opportunity to talk directly to Emma about the role of LAs when she attends the Climate Change Board meeting on 7th April. Also coming along to that meeting are the consultants Louise Marix Evans and Derek Morgan who have been commissioned by the CCC to prepare a report on the role of LAs in delivering the 7th Carbon Budget.
Further information
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Author
Hannah Bartram is ADEPT’s Chief Executive Officer
