The Climate Change Committee (CCC), the UK government’s climate advisor announced today the publication of its annual progress reports to Parliament, appraising the country’s progress on its key emissions reduction targets and the achievement of a net zero economy.

The report warns of “major failures” in the delivery of programs aimed at delivering the UK’s climate goals.

The CCC’s assessment utilizes a revamped framework for monitoring progress, focused on the changes needed to achieve net zero, and detailed progress indicators to assess risks to the goal across the economy.

The analysis identified several areas of strength, most notably in the deployment of renewable energy, with emissions from electricity generation declining nearly 70% over the past ten years, and in ramping the adoption of electric vehicles, which is already ahead of plan.

The report warns, however, that government policy is falling short in several vital areas, including home energy efficiency with “a shocking gap in policy for better insulated homes,” and agriculture and land use, identified by the CCC as the weakest area assessed, despite being vital to delivering on the government’s climate, food security and biodiversity goals.

Overall, the CCC stated that the UK’s current strategy will not deliver net zero, with plans for over a third of the required emissions reductions needed to hit 2030 goals identified as not reliable.

Lord Deben, Chairman of the Climate Change Committee said:

“The UK is a champion in setting new climate goals, now we must be world-beaters in delivering them. In the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, the country is crying out to end its dependence on expensive fossil fuels. I welcome the Government’s restated commitment to Net Zero, but holes must be plugged in its strategy urgently. The window to deliver real progress is short. We are eagle-eyed for the promised action.”

Click here to access the CCC’s 2022 Progress Report to Parliament.