The legacy from the Tory government on climate change is poor. The 2024 Progress Report from the Climate Change Committee (CCC), published a fortnight after the General Election, expressed concern about “inconsistent messages” from the government.
It stated that we are not on track to reduce emissions 2030 by 68% compared to 1990 levels, and called for action to:
- make electricity cheaper
- reverse the policy rollbacks of the previous government
- accelerate decarbonisation
- strengthen adaptation
To meet these challenges, and our manifesto commitments made before the election, the Labour Government is setting up Great British Energy a publicly owned clean power company, to accelerate investment in renewable energy. We are facilitating the investment needed to accelerate and quadruple offshore wind capacity by 2030 through Crown Estate Bill. In addition, the de facto ban on on-shore wind ended just four days after the General election.
Homes make up 16% of greenhouse emissions in the UK so the roll-out of alternatives to gas heating is important. We have expanded the budget for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which will almost double, providing grants of up to £7,500 to many more eligible homeowners to install heat pumps, and we’re scrapping planning restrictions on those pumps.
The report by the Office for Environmental Protection covering the period 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 carried a similar message – incoherent action by the last government on restoring nature.
By contrast this Labour Government has set out how we would meet the target of protecting 30% of land in England by 2030. This was announced at the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People at the COP 16 summit in Columbia. The action includes a review of the previous Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) to ensure it is fit for purpose.
We have also launched a national conversation to transform how we use land in this country, ensuring we protect prime agricultural land, restore our natural world and drive economic growth.
Most of these actions have not required a change in the law, the Labour government is getting on with the job.