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48 min ago 3 min read
The UK’s transition to clean electricity is not happening fast enough according to climate advisers.
While overall emissions fell 1.8%, and emissions from industry also dropped largely due to the closure of , the government needs a more ambitious plan to electrify key parts of the economy, including further action to reduce the cost of electricity, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) notes in its latest progress report.
Nigel Topping CMG, Chair of the Climate Change Committee (CCC), said the cost-of-living crisis continues to put pressure on households and businesses with people paying the price of another fossil fuel price shock from the Iran war, not long after the crisis of 2022.
“At this moment of political uncertainty, any weakening of current positions risks slowing these transitions, undermining investment and the long-term consistency businesses need,” he said. “This is about more than targets, it’s about cleaner air, energy security and shielding the economy from fossil fuel shocks.”
Meeting the nationally determined contribution would require emissions to fall to 291 MtCO2e by 2030, according to the independent statutory body.
The CCC’s recommendations include setting out a plan on industrial electrification and speeding up grid connections to remove barriers for businesses electrifying operations.
With carbon capture and storage, positive steps include £9.4bn of funding allocated at the 2025 Spending Review. Final investment decision was reached for the first CO2 capture facility , and the construction of CO2 transport and storage infrastructure are starting at both Track-1 clusters. However, uncertainty remains beyond these initial projects.
Significant challenges remain around too, particularly for second-generation biofuels and third-generation power-to-liquid fuels, which must begin to contribute from 2027 and 2028 respectively.
Orlando Minervino, Decarbonisation Strategy Manager, Xoserve, the central data services provider, said the CCC is right to highlight that progress on decarbonising transport, buildings and industry must accelerate if the UK is to stay on track for its climate targets.
“Electrification will play a central role in that transition, but the report also underlines the challenges that remain, particularly in industry where the route to widespread electrification is still uncertain and high electricity costs continue to act as a barrier,” he said.
“A successful net zero transition will require a whole-system approach. Alongside expanding clean power, low-carbon gases such as hydrogen and biomethane, together with carbon capture and storage, can help decarbonise hard to electrify sectors, support energy system flexibility and resilience, and make use of existing infrastructure to deliver emissions reductions more quickly.
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As the CCC notes, significant emissions reductions remain unsupported by credible plans.
“Meeting the UK’s climate ambitions will require every viable decarbonisation pathway to be developed at pace. As electricity demand grows and pressure on networks increases, gas and low-carbon gases will continue to have an important role to play alongside clean power in delivering a secure, affordable and resilient energy system,” he added.
