Recommendation 4

We are disappointed by government’s apparent lack of urgency in clarifying how it will work with local government to achieve net zero. We have previously reported that local authorities have significant scope to influence emissions in their local area, but government had not sufficiently engaged with them on their role in achieving net zero. The Strategy includes the Department’s new role of having overall responsibility for improving coordination with local government, and its plans to establish a Net Zero Forum to bring together senior officials from national and local government on a regular basis to discuss policy and delivery options on net zero. However, we are concerned that there is still a lack of clarity in the roles and responsibilities of local authorities in delivering net zero objectives, and a lack of capacity at the local level to carry out these activities. We are also concerned that some local authorities continue to struggle to access central government money to fund net zero activities. The Department indicated that its funding model was intended to ensure funds got to where they were most needed, for example the poorest social housing stock; however, it committed to consider how it could balance its objectives with a simpler funding system. The Department acknowledges that it has much work to do in relation to local authorities and net zero. Recommendation: The Department should urgently provide further clarity on how it intends to work with local government on achieving net zero. This should include how it will: • clarify the role it expects local authorities to play in achieving net zero; • manage risks around local government’s delivery of net zero; and • make net zero funding simpler for local government to access and utilise.