Select Committee · Environmental Audit Committee
HM Treasury and the economics of climate and nature
Status: Open
Opened: 17 Apr 2026
Inquiry scope
The Environmental Audit Committee is examining the role of HM Treasury in shaping the UK’s response to climate change, nature loss and wider environmental sustainability. The Government’s economic policy objective includes a commitment to “accelerate the transition to a climate resilient, nature positive and net zero economy”. [1] This inquiry will explore how HM Treasury influences the Government’s approach to climate change, nature loss and environmental sustainability through economic policy, appraisal frameworks and funding decisions. It will also assess the extent to which these objectives are reflected in practice, including whether climate, nature and environmental sustainability are recognised as contributors to long term growth and resilience. In addition, the inquiry will consider how effectively climate and environment related risks and opportunities are assessed within economic and fiscal decisions, and what impact HM Treasury has in addressing them. [1] Remit for the Monetary Policy Committee Read the call for evidence for more information about this inquiry, and to find out how to submit written evidence through the Committee's online evidence submission portal.Oral evidence sessions
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| Date | Session and witnesses | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 15 Jul 2026 | Ben Howarth · The Association of British Insurers (ABI), James Alexander · UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association, Jaya Sood · New Economics Foundation, Jennifer Wu · Transition Finance Council, The Rt Hon. the Lord Sharma KCMG · Transition Finance Council, Toby Radcliffe · Aldersgate Group, Tom Josephs · Office for Budget Responsibility | View ↗ |
| 17 Jun 2026 | Dimitri Zenghelis · Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, Dr Steve Coulter · Green Alliance, Heather McKay · E3G, Karen Ellis · WWF-UK, Professor Ben Groom · The University of Exeter | View ↗ |
Written evidence
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| Reference | Date | Submitter |
|---|---|---|
| TCN0110 | 2 Sep 2026 | UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association (UKSIF) |
Who gave evidence
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| Witness | Organisation | Sessions |
|---|---|---|
| Ben Howarth · Assistant Director and Head of Sustainability and Climate | The Association of British Insurers (ABI) | 1 |
| Dimitri Zenghelis · Senior Associate | Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership | 1 |
| Dr Steve Coulter · Head of Economy | Green Alliance | 1 |
| Heather McKay · Programme Lead - Finance & Resilience | E3G | 1 |
| James Alexander · Chief Executive | UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association | 1 |
| Jaya Sood · Senior Economist | New Economics Foundation | 1 |
| Jennifer Wu · Head of Secretariat | Transition Finance Council | 1 |
| Karen Ellis · Chief Economist | WWF-UK | 1 |
| Professor Ben Groom · Dragon Capital Chair of Biodiversity Economics | The University of Exeter | 1 |
| The Rt Hon. the Lord Sharma KCMG · Chair | Transition Finance Council | 1 |
| Toby Radcliffe · Policy Officer | Aldersgate Group | 1 |
| Tom Josephs · Member, Budget Responsibility Committee | Office for Budget Responsibility | 1 |