Select committee: Environmental Audit Committee

Conclusion 26

4th Report - Accelerating the transition from fossil fuels and securing energy supplies Published 5 Jan 2023 Paragraph 131

Environmental Audit Committee Accelerating the transition from fossil fuels and securing energy supplies All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗

Conclusion (the committee's words)

Despite the UK’s heavy dependence on oil for transport, and transport’s status as the highest emitting sector, it is barely mentioned in the British Energy Security Accelerating the transition from fossil fuels and securing energy supplies 85 Strategy and was left out of the new national ambition to reduce energy consumption by 15% by 2030. We acknowledge the Government’s leadership in setting a date to end the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles in 2030 and the encouraging rate of growth in the sale of electric vehicles. We note however that it may take many years for a full turnover of the vehicle fleet and that transport emissions have flatlined for the last decade. For the UK to meet its successive carbon budgets under the Climate Change Act 2008 and the Paris Agreement, transport emissions must start coming down more rapidly.

From: Environmental Audit Committee, 4th Report - Accelerating the transition from fossil fuels and securing energy supplies (HC 109), paragraph 131, 5 January 2023

Government response

The government responded to the whole report on 23 March 2023 (deadline 5 March 2023).

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The Government welcomes the Committee's report and responds mainly by pointing to existing schemes, targets and planned consultations, while declining several recommendations, including a tax allowance for renewable generators and ringfencing Energy Profits Levy revenue for energy efficiency.

On renewable generators' tax relief, it states it "does not accept this recomsmendation" [sic], citing support through Contracts for Difference. On the Energy Profits Levy, it has "considerable fiscal sustainability concerns" about hypothecating revenue for energy efficiency.
On green mortgages, it agrees lenders have "an important role to play" but will publish a response only once policy is "resolved", giving no date. It intends to consult on Energy Performance Certificate and wider buildings framework reforms in 2023.
On the North Sea, it considers the Transition Deal targets "sufficiently ambitious" and says it does "not propose reopening this deal for negotiation", though it will monitor progress closely, including whether "further steps may be necessary".
On energy efficiency funding, it points to £6.6 billion this Parliament and £6 billion of new funding "from 2025 to 2028". It intends to launch ECO+ in spring 2023, "proposed to be worth £1 billion over three years".

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