Select committee: Defence Committee
Conclusion 13
Eighth Report - Defence and Climate Change
Published 18 Aug 2023
Paragraph 88
Addressed to Ministry of Defence
Defence Committee Defence and Climate Change All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
We note with interest the RAF setting itself a demanding target for reducing carbon emissions—a decade ahead of the Government’s 2050 goal—and look forward to examining the detailed plan for how it will be achieved. The RAF has also set out clear milestones towards achieving its 2040 ambition, aiming for a net zero airbase by 2025 and a net zero RAF estate by 2030, but milestones are not plans and Defence and Climate Change 33 programmes. We have not seen similar plans setting out milestones and targets for all other Top-Level Budget holders and enabling organisations to achieve net zero by 2050.
From: Defence Committee, Eighth Report - Defence and Climate Change (HC 179), paragraph 88, 18 August 2023
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 8 November 2023 (deadline 18 October 2023).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The MOD welcomes the inquiry and says its climate work is "already aligned to many of the Inquiry's recommendations", while stating that it will "never damage our national security for the sake of sustainability targets".
- On the Committee's recommendation for more demanding Science Based Targets, the MOD says it is "currently not planning on using Science Based Targets", because they "could undermine or drive perverse decisions" about current capabilities.
- On independent verification of emissions and a standalone annual climate report, it says there are "no plans" for either, citing the scale and complexity of its activities for verification.
- On separate emissions reporting by Top Level Budget holders, the MOD says only that it "will assess whether" these organisations' emissions "should also be reported" in its Annual Reports and Accounts.
- On the housing stock and MACA tasks, it commits to timed reviews: an accommodation investment strategy review "planned to conclude by the end of 2023" and a DSTL review of MACA and HADR activity "to be complete by end 2023".