Recommendation 9

Public perceptions are shaped not by ministerial statements alone, but by the cumulative impact of decisions taken across Government. Where policy choices in areas such as transport, buildings and infrastructure cut across climate objectives and are not aligned, they signal that net zero is a conditional ambition rather than a binding national obligation. This inconsistency has practical consequences and would slow the uptake of low-carbon technologies and deter long-term private investment, undermining confidence in the delivery of net zero and the Seventh Carbon Budget. The erosion of cross-party consensus on net zero further compounds this uncertainty at precisely the point when clarity, stability and sustained political commitment are most needed. (Conclusion, Paragraph 56)