Select committee: Science and Technology Committee
Recommendation 30
1st report - Battery strategy goes flat: Net-zero target at risk
Published 27 Jul 2021
Paragraph 176
Science and Technology Committee Role of batteries and fuel cells in achieving Net Zero All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
The Government should set out clear plans for developing industrial-scale recycling in the UK. As part of this, it should require manufacturers to incorporate ‘sustainability by design’ and to conduct full life-cycle analyses of the environmental and social impacts of batteries and fuel cells. The Government should introduce incentives and regulations to speed the transition to more sustainable technologies.
From: Science and Technology Committee, 1st report - Battery strategy goes flat: Net-zero target at risk, paragraph 176, 27 July 2021
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 27 September 2021 (deadline 27 September 2021).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government sets out support already in place or planned across batteries, charging, freight and hydrogen, and ties future battery research funding to the Spending Review 2021.
- On supply chains, it states it is "committed to supporting the automotive sector", with £500m of the Automotive Transformation Fund available over four years as the first part of "up to £1 billion".
- On charging, it says it "recognise[s] the need to accelerate" the public network, will provide £1.3 billion over four years, and will publish an EV Infrastructure Strategy "later this year".
- On HGVs, the consultation closed on 3 September and it is analysing responses; it "intend[s] to announce phase out dates as soon as possible".
- On fuel cells, it says technology development is "at an earlier stage than in batteries" and that intervention to date has focused on supporting earlier development.