The National Infrastructure Commission has welcomed today’s announcement by government that it will introduce a legally binding target to reduce emissions by 78% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels, in line with recommendations from the Climate Change Committee.
Sir John Armitt, Chair of the National Infrastructure Commission, said: “This ambitious target provides an important signal of intent, and raises the bar on the level of collaboration that will be required between government and private sector. Government urgently needs to set out clear, funded plans to support delivery of the infrastructure needed to support the journey to net zero.
“The Commission repeats its call for detailed polices, developed in partnership with industry, to deliver the necessary developments such as sufficient electric vehicle charging points, taking concrete steps to decarbonise the country’s heating supply, and schemes to significantly improve the energy efficiency of the UK’s homes.”
The Commission’s latest Annual Monitoring Report sets out a number of immediate priorities it recommends government should take to help meet the decarbonisation challenge, including:
- producing a delivery roadmap for electric vehicle charging infrastructure to meet the 2030 end to new diesel and petrol car and vans sales including ensuring that future price controls facilitate the necessary investment in the electricity grid
- publishing a comprehensive cross-modal freight strategy with a firm commitment to phase out diesel HGVs by 2040 along with detailed decarbonisation plans consulted on with the road haulage and logistics industry
- developing clear, actionable, and funded plans to deliver on energy commitments made in the Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, and the National Infrastructure Strategy, including setting out next steps on heat decarbonisation and the development of a hydrogen industry
- further improving energy efficiency schemes to deliver a material increase in the energy efficiency of the country’s building stock over the coming year.
