Public will not have to change lives ‘radically’ for 2035 climate goal, MPs told
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The public will not have to change their lives “radically” for the UK to meet its near-term emissions reduction targets, MPs have been told. The Government’s climate goals include a 68% reduction by 2030 and an 81% reduction by 2035 on 1990 levels, which are both in line with advice from its independent advisers on the Climate Change Committee (CCC).
Speaking at the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee on Wednesday, Emma Pinchbeck, CCC chief executive, said the UK can “absolutely” meet these goals but it currently remains off track. Ms Pinchbeck said: “It involves changes. People are going to have to choose different technologies at the point they have to or want to replace their boiler or at the point they’re getting a new vehicle, because the big emissions chunk is in heat and transport.
“But we’re not talking about people radically changing the way they live their lives.”. She added that other areas of lifestyle change, such as diet and travel, are not in the scope of the 2035 goal but will come into later plans on the road to net zero by 2050.
But it came as Dr Emily Nurse, CCC head of net zero, told the committee that the UK is not on track to meet the 2030 and 2035 targets across most areas, such as surface transport and low carbon heating. It follows the CCC’s latest annual update to Parliament published in December showed that “credible plans” to cut emissions – those funded and with a delivery timeline in place – exist for only 32% of reductions needed to meet the UK’s 2030 target.
