Recommendation 14

The Strategy sets out plans for how central government will work with local government in pursuit of net zero.49 The Department will take overall responsibility for improving coordination with local government and other local actors on the design and delivery of local net zero policies.50 The Department will establish a Local Net Zero Forum to regularly bring together senior officials from national and local government to discuss policy and delivery options.51 However, the Department described a ‘journey’ it needs to take with local authorities, starting with the Forum.52 The Local Government Association, representing councils from England and Wales, told us it has been calling for a climate taskforce to be established, bringing together ministers and local representatives in a forum to encourage greater national-local government coordination and partnership.53 When we queried which areas the Department still felt it had work to do in despite having published its Strategy, the Department highlighted working with local authorities, and indicated that this should now progress more quickly.54 44 Committee of Public Accounts, Achieving Net Zero, Forty-Sixth Report of Session 2019–21, HC 935, 1 March 2021 45 Q 12 46 Net Zero Strategy, page 263, para 8; Local Government Association, page 1, para 2.3 47 Energy Systems Catapult, page 4 48 Core Cities UK, page 2, para 2.7 49 Q 17 50 Net Zero Strategy, page 264, para 14 51 Net Zero Strategy, page 264, para 14 52 Q 12 53 Local Government Association, paras 2.4–2.5 54 Q 82 14 Achieving Net Zero: Follow up