Reinstate 2030 ICE phase-out, says Climate Change Committee

The Climate Change Committee has said that only a third of the emissions reductions required to achieve the country’s 2030 target are currently covered by credible plans.

In more positive news, the Committee has said that the country’s emissions are now less than half the levels they were in 1990. This is largely due to the phase out of coal and the ramping up of renewables.

But to continue to decarbonise the UK, the Committee said that action also needs to be taken across transport, buildings, industry and agriculture.

It says the market share of new electric cars needs to increase from 16.5% in 2023 to nearly 100% by 2030.

One of the Committee's recommendations is to reinstate the 2030 phase-out of new fossil-fuel car and van sales, saying that the damage of these rollbacks can be limited by quickly reinstating these policies.

Professor Piers Forster, interim Chair of the Climate Change Committee, said: “The country’s 2030 emissions reduction target is at risk. The new Government has an opportunity to course-correct, but it will need to be done as a matter of urgency to make up for lost time. They are off to a good start. Action needs to extend beyond electricity, with rapid progress needed on electric cars, heat pumps and tree planting.

“The transition to Net Zero can deliver investment, lower bills, and energy security. It will help the UK keep its place on the world stage. It is a way for this Government to serve both the people of today and the people of tomorrow.”

The Committee has written a priority list of ten recommendations, which includes reversing recent policy rollbacks, making electricity cheaper, and ramping up rates of tree planting and peatland restoration.