Recommendation 6

Increasing focus on its domestic Net Zero Strategy should not detract government from leading global action to tackle climate change. Climate change is a global challenge which requires a global solution. Government aims to lead by example domestically to help drive action and ambition internationally. However, delays in publishing targets for reducing public sector emissions risk undermining its credibility nationally and internationally. There is also a risk that policies driving emissions reductions domestically increase emissions elsewhere, and the Department acknowledges that so-called ‘consumption emissions’ are harder to measure as it requires information on emissions generated by the manufacture and transport of imported goods. Although HM Treasury is considering the challenges of carbon ‘leakage’ for UK competitiveness, that is displacing emissions from one country to another, the Department recognises that international supply chain emissions, and product standards are areas where it needs to do more work. There are obvious limitations without solutions in obtaining accurate, quality data from many foreign jurisdictions. It is not easy to see how these limitations can be overcome. It plans to launch a call for evidence on demand-side low-carbon products to address issues on product standards and help consumers identify low-carbon products. Recommendation: The Department, together with Defra, should work to increase public awareness of consumption emissions (for example, the carbon footprints of products sold in the UK), so the impact of consumer decisions play a more central role in tackling climate change. Achieving Net Zero: Follow up 9 1 Reliance on future innovation and consumer behaviour