The UK government has made progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but further action is required to meet legally binding climate targets and deliver the full economic benefits of the transition, according to the Climate Change Committee (CCC).
In its first assessment of the new government’s climate policy, the independent advisory body said emissions reduction policies have improved since last year. The report points to key government decisions in 2024, including the reinstatement of the 2030 phase-out date for new petrol and diesel vehicles, easing of planning barriers for renewable energy, and greater clarity on the UK’s clean power mission.
Piers Forster, interim chair of the CCC, said the UK remains among the leading economies in emissions reduction efforts.
“The UK can be proud of our progress in reducing emissions,” Forster said. “We’ve cut them by over 50% since 1990. Our country is among a leading group of economies demonstrating a commitment to decarbonise society. This is to be celebrated: delivering deep emissions reduction is the only way to slow global warming.”
However, Forster emphasised the need for more visible public benefits from climate action. “The government needs to do more to ensure people see the benefits of climate action in their bills,” he added. “Given increasingly unstable geopolitics, it is also important to get off unreliable fossil fuels and onto homegrown, renewable energy as quickly as possible. The fossil fuel era is over – cheap, clean electricity is our future.”
The CCC reported that UK emissions declined by 2.5% in 2024, marking the tenth consecutive year of reductions, excluding the COVID-19-affected years of 2020 and 2021.
Trevor Hutchings, chief executive of the Renewable Energy Association, welcomed the CCC’s findings but cautioned that more remains to be done.
“Climate changing emissions have halved since 1990 and over 50% of our electricity is now from clean sources,” Hutchings said. “Electric vehicle sales are up a fifth and heat pump installations have grown by over a third year on year – net zero is within our grasp. But this important report reminds us that we are still far from job done.”
He added: “As we electrify, we must further incentivise the production of clean, renewable energy to meet the new demand; we must address gaps in policy coverage; and we must ensure consumers quickly feel the full ‘net zero dividend’ through lower electricity bills.
The CCC urged the government to accelerate the shift to renewable energy and improve affordability to maintain public support and ensure long-term success.
