The UK Climate Change Committee has called for urgent action to set the country on track to meet its 2030 commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The independent government advisor warned an end-decade target to cut emissions by 68% compared to 1990 levels “is at risk” unless policy interventions are made swiftly.
Currently, only one third of the emissions reductions required are covered by “credible” plans, the group’s latest progress report found.
It aimed criticism at the “confusing messaging” of the previous Conservative government on decarbonisation, saying policy delays and rollbacks had created “uncertainty about the country’s commitment to net zero”.
CCC interim chairman Piers Forster said: “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.”
On the pace of renewables delivery, the CCC recommended that by 2030 offshore wind installations in the UK will need to increase “at least” three times, while onshore wind deployment must double and solar installations increase five-fold.
It noted “effective design and implementation” of the upcoming Contracts for Difference auctions would be crucial to achieving this, including ensuring funding for this year’s AR6 and next year’s AR7 is set at an appropriate level to deliver at least 50GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030.
Responding to the report, Energy UK deputy chief executive Dhara Vyas said: “The simple reality is that decarbonising the remaining half of our emissions is likely to be much more challenging than the first 50%.
“The CCC’s report should act as a wake-up call to policymakers. From offshore wind to heat pump installation, the UK isn’t moving fast enough to ensure we reach our carbon budget targets.
“The new government has ambitious plans to decarbonise and deliver economic growth. There is no time to waste when it comes to big decisions like increasing the Contracts for Difference AR6 budget to rapidly increase our renewables provision, or rebalancing policy costs to incentivise the electrification of heat.”
Trade association REA urged the UK’s new Labour administration to “learn from past mistakes” by backing renewables and the clean tech sector.
The group’s chief executive Trevor Hutchings said: “Today’s progress report demonstrates the scale of the challenge for the new government but also the opportunities to rejuvenate the UK’s clean energy transition.
“Addressing this requires decisive and quick action, and I am encouraged by the government’s early announcements to this end, together with yesterday’s King’s Speech.”