Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 2
2
As the ‘low hanging fruit’ of decarbonisation has largely been achieved, delivery risk increases materially...
Conclusion
As the ‘low hanging fruit’ of decarbonisation has largely been achieved, delivery risk increases materially under the Seventh Carbon Budget, at the same time as delivery options are reduced (as represented by the CCC’s decision to produce a single balanced pathway rather than multiple pathways). Emissions reductions become more complex, more capital- intensive and more dependent on coordinated action across infrastructure, markets and behaviour. Without clear planning, sustained policy signals, transparency over delivery assumptions and credible contingency arrangements, the risk of under-delivery and unequal impacts will rise. (Conclusion, Paragraph 31)