Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 5
5
Accepted
Define short, medium, and long-term outcomes for each net zero technology to benchmark progress.
Conclusion
The Government has not yet defined what success will look like for the main net zero technology challenge areas and therefore lacks benchmarks with which to judge whether progress remains on track. It is vital that desired outcomes are clearly defined to enable government and Parliament to assess whether progress in the individual innovation challenge areas are on track to contribute to the UK achieving net zero. DESNZ, with other departments, has started to establish a process for monitoring progress systematically across the Framework but it has still Support for innovation to deliver net zero 7 to define what outcomes, such as carbon reductions and business opportunities, it is seeking to support. It is still too focused on what individual projects are delivering rather than the bigger picture. Without clear benchmarks it will be more difficult to judge whether the support it is providing is working and whether further action is needed. Recommendation 5: Government should define the outcomes, rather the outputs, that it is hoping to deliver from each technology in the short, medium and longer- term to enable it to benchmark progress and ensure that taxpayer support continues to be well targeted.
Government Response Summary
The government agrees and will consider and agree challenge outcomes for the current net zero R&I portfolio by Spring 2024, with the Innovation Delivery Board regularly monitoring progress.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. consider challenge outcomes for the current government net zero R&I portfolio as set out in the Net Zero Research and Innovation Framework Delivery Plan and agree these by Spring 2024. The Innovation Delivery Board will regularly monitor progress of the portfolio at each of its meetings. DESNZ intends to publish an update on the Net Zero Research and Innovation Framework Delivery Plan ahead of the next Spending Review. This will allow time for most of the current innovation programmes to complete and an initial assessment against intended outcomes to be considered. List of Treasury Minutes responses for Sessions 2010-15 are annexed in the government’s response to PAC Report 52 Publication Date PAC Reports Ref Number July 2020 Government responses to PAC reports 1-6 CP 270 September 2020 Government responses to PAC reports 7-13 CP 291 November 2020 Government responses to PAC reports 14-17 and 19 CP 316 January 2021 Government responses to PAC reports 18, 20-24 CP 363 February 2021 Government responses to PAC reports 25-29 CP 376 February 2021 Government responses to PAC reports 30-34 CP 389 March 2021 Government responses to PAC reports 35-39 CP 409 April 2021 Government responses to PAC reports 40- 44 CP 420 May 2021 Government responses to PAC reports 45-51 CP 434 June 2021 Government responses to PAC reports 52-56 CP 456 Session 2019 Committee Recommendations: 11 Recommendations agreed: 11 (100%) Recommendations disagreed: 0 Publication Date PAC Reports Ref Number January 2020 Government response to PAC report [112-119] 1 and 2 CP 210 Session 2017-19 Committee Recommendations: 747 Recommendations agreed: 675 (90%) Recommendations disagreed: 72 (10%) Publication Date PAC Reports Ref Number December 2017 Government response to PAC report 1 Cm 9549 January 2018 Government responses to PAC reports 2 and 3 Cm 9565 March 2018 Government responses to PAC reports 4-11 Cm 9575 March 2018 Government responses to PAC reports 12-19 Cm 9596 May 2018 Government responses to PAC reports 20-30 Cm 9618 June 2018 Government responses to PAC reports 31-37 Cm 9643 July 2018 Government responses to PAC reports 38-42 Cm 9667 October 2018 Government responses to PAC reports 43-58 Cm 9702 December 2018 Government responses to PAC reports 59-63 Cm 9740 January 2019 Government responses to PAC reports 64-68 CP 18 March 2019 Government responses to PAC reports 69-71 CP 56 April 2019 Government responses to PAC reports 72-77 CP 79 May 2019 Government responses to PAC reports 78-81 and 83-85 CP 97 June 2019 Government responses to PAC reports 82, 86-92 CP 113 July 2019 Government responses to PAC reports 93-94 and 96-98 CP 151 October 2019 Government responses to PAC reports 95, 99-111 CP 176 January 2020 Government response to PAC reports 112-119 [1 and 2] CP 210 Session 2016-17 Committee Recommendations: 393 Recommendations agreed: 356 (91%) Recommendations disagreed: 37 (9%) Publication Date PAC Reports Ref Number November 2016 Government responses to PAC reports 1-13 Cm 9351 December 2016 Government responses to PAC reports 14-21 Cm 9389 February 2017 Government responses to PAC reports 22-25 and 28 Cm 9413 March 2017 Government responses to PAC reports 26-27 and 29-34 Cm 9429 March 2017 Government responses to PAC reports 35-41 Cm 9433 October 2017 Government responses to PAC reports 42-44 and 46-64 Cm 9505 Session 2015-16 Committee Recommendations: 262 Recommendations agreed: 225 (86%) Recommendations disagreed: 37 (14%) Publication Date PAC Reports Ref Number December 2015 Government responses to PAC reports 1 to 3 Cm 9170 January 2016 Government responses to PAC reports 4 to 8 Cm 9190 March 2016 Government responses to PAC reports 9 to 14 Cm 9220 March 2016 Government responses to PAC reports 15-20 Cm 9237 April 2016 Government responses to PAC reports 21-26 Cm 9260 May 2016 Government responses to PAC reports 27-33 Cm 9270 July 2016 Government responses to PAC reports 34-36; 38; and 40-42 Cm 9323 November 2016 Government responses to PAC reports 37 and 39 (part 1) Cm 9351 December 2016 Government response to PAC report 39 (part 2) Cm 9389 Treasury Minutes Progress Reports Archive Treasury Minutes Progress Reports provide updates on the implementation of recommendations from the Committee of Public Accounts. These reports are Command Papers laid in Parliament. Publication Date PAC Reports Ref Number Session 2017-19: updates on 9 PAC reports Session 2019-21: updates on 2 PAC reports December 2023 CP 987 Session 2021-22: updates on 18 PAC reports Session 2022-23: updates on 48 PAC reports Session 2013-14: updates on 1 PAC report Session 2017-19: updates on 11 PAC reports June 2023 Session 2019-21: updates on 5 PAC reports CP 847 Session 2021-22: updates on 29 PAC reports Session 2022-23: updates on 27 PAC reports Session 2013-14: updates on 1 PAC report Session 2017-19: updates on 16 PAC reports December 2022 Session 2019-21: updates on 14 PAC reports CP 765 Session 20