Source · Select Committees · Science, Innovation and Technology Committee
Recommendation 22
22
Accepted
Paragraph: 165
Several countries including Germany, Japan and Singapore have well developed hydrogen strategies with significant public...
Recommendation
Several countries including Germany, Japan and Singapore have well developed hydrogen strategies with significant public funding to support the development of infrastructure, production and use of low-carbon hydrogen. Through public- private partnerships, Germany and Japan have structures intended to enable the development of a regulatory framework and provide confidence to consumers for private investment. The UK’s main international competitors in this field also tend to have specific bodies responsible for the delivery of their government’s targets. Given the evidence received on the importance of whole systems performance, the Government should designate or create a single department or agency with responsibility and accountability for delivering cross-departmental Net Zero commitments, including those relating to delivering the hydrogen strategy.
Government Response Summary
The government states that DESNZ is accountable for net zero and works across departments, and ensures alignment through the Domestic and Economic Affairs Cabinet Committee, shared Outcome Delivery Plans and sector strategies.
Paragraph Reference:
165
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
DESNZ is accountable for net zero and, in partnership with Cabinet Office and HM Treasury, works to drive action across departments. It is not unusual that government agendas span many departments. The main challenge with coordinating net zero across government is in ensuring that departments’ incentives are aligned as closely as possible, so every department is completely committed to the action to deliver the objective, and that net zero is embedded in wider policy objectives. There are several ways that government is ensuring this alignment, including: • The Domestic and Economic Affairs (Energy, Climate and Net Zero) Cabinet Committee, which brings together departments to consider matters relating to energy, and the delivery of the UK’s domestic and international climate strategy; • Setting common goals, for example through the shared Outcome Delivery Plans – where the Net Zero Strategy approach incorporates the contributions needed across government; • The commitments to sector strategies and the Net Zero Strategy as a whole – making public commitments, sector by sector, to show how departments are playing their part in achieving net zero.