June 30, 2016

expert reaction to the committee on climate change progress report

The Committee on Climate Change have published their 2016 Progress Report

Dr Paul Fennell, Reader in Clean Energy, Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, said:

“Effective action on climate change requires pan-European and global collaboration; the decision of the UK government to gamble the UK’s membership of the EU on their ability to persuade the population of its merits, and the shambolic efforts to assist by the leader of the opposition, mean that the UK’s climate policy is in tatters.”

Prof Dave Reay, Professor of Carbon Management at the University of Edinburgh, said:

“This wake-up call for Government climate policy will inevitably be drowned out by Brexit furore this week. That’s a crying shame as the message here is clear: we must do better. From agriculture to transport, from energy efficiency to carbon capture, UK action on climate change is faltering.

“No matter what deal emerges with the EU or who the next Prime Minister is, the UK cannot afford to kick difficult decisions on climate change action into the long grass. Now more than ever is the time for strong commitments and action to deliver a climate-smart Britain fit for the uncertain decades ahead.”

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