Outgoing CCC chair slams lack of leadership on emissions

Climate Change Committee (CCC) chair Lord Deben has slammed lack of leadership across the political spectrum on tackling emissions, while the organisation’s chief executive has accused the government of “ducking” the issue.

In his swansong appearance as CCC head, the former Conservative environment secretary said: “If you lead, there are bound to be people who would prefer you not to have made those decisions.

“What we’re seeing at the moment, not only in government but in opposition, is people being unwilling to lead lest some people don’t like the decisions that are being made.”

Pointing as an example to the yet to be implemented upgrades to building regulations for new homes, he said: “We’re still waiting for the Future Homes Standard. We’re still building homes that have got to be retrofitted and are not fit for the future.

“Right across the political spectrum, there is an unwillingness to lead. What I’m looking for is the leadership, which is essential when we are at a moment, not just of national emergency but of global emergency.”

Lord Deben was speaking at the launch of the CCC’s annual report which warned that the government is not doing enough to meet its net zero targets. In particular, the report calls for the rebalancing of electricity and gas prices to be made permanent.

Lord Deben was backed up by CCC chief executive Chris Stark, who warned that the UK had made little of the progress over the past year on the steps needed to meet the UK’s medium term climate goal from 2030 onwards.

“The change that we need to see takes time, we will not be able to turn this on overnight,” Stark said. “That looks increasingly like something the government is trying to duck.

“This can’t wait for the next general election. That would amount to a lost year. If we waited for the next round of policy pledges and delivery pledges, that would leave us with too much ground to make up. We need stronger leadership from our political leaders on this issue in the next year and beyond.”

And pointing to the approximately 3,000 pages of climate change and energy policy documents published in March, he said lack of progress on climate change didn’t reflect lack of legwork within government.

“What’s missing is political leadership. In effect, you’ve got a series of strings being pushed across government at the moment and no one at the top pulling it up to raise it to the political priority that is required. Until that happens, this programme is going to run into the sand.”

Lord Deben will step down from his role at the end of this week after 11 years in the role. Piers Forster has been appointed as the interim chair by the UK Government and governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.