Reality Check: Is the UK’s Climate Policy on Track with its Climate Goals?
The UK is hosting the current historic COP 26 conference. But what is the UK government’s own track record on climate, and does it hold up to scrutiny?
Photo by Gabriel McCallin on Unsplash.
With COP 26 already underway and devastating impacts of business-as-usual more striking than ever, the eyes of the world are now firmly rested on the UK’s action, or lack thereof, on the global climate crisis. As of October 31 onwards, world leaders have convened in Glasgow for two weeks to decide on the future of climate action and our adaptation to existing impacts.
The recent months have seen an increasing number of extreme weather events. Climate change is thought to have made the German floods - which killed more than 120 people - nine times more likely, and the deadly heatwave in North America 150 times more likely. It is clear that we have no more time to lose. A recent report by the International Energy Agency showed that, globally, emissions will drop by only 40% with countries’ current pledges.
So, how is the UK doing?
Unfortunately, not that great. While the UK’s climate targets are among the most progressive in the world, our government is not putting their money where its mouth is. The $100bn in climate aid pledged by richer nations to poorer ones – due by 2021 – has not been met, with over $20bn missing. With the £100m reduction to climate aid, it is unclear whether the UK recognises its carbon debt as one of the top ten biggest historical emitters.
Looking within our own borders, our ambitious plans to cut emissions by 78% by 2030 in order to get to net zero by 2050 are still awaiting adequate action. A scathing analysis by the Climate Change Committee has shown that the policies currently in place will deliver only one fifth of this cut. While the Net Zero Review aims for decarbonising power by 2035, and a long-awaited Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate with no more petrol and diesel cars to be sold after 2030, there are still several elephants in the room. Aviation, responsible for 7% of emissions, is largely exempt from regulation. Housing, at 14% of emissions, is also not adequately tackled, with the green homes grant scrapped and heat pump roll-out slow and underfunded. While we have ambitious tree planting targets - which we are not meeting - industry emissions are currently targeted with magical thinking, in the hope for currently unavailable new technologies such as carbon capture and offsets which experts say we cannot rely on to the extent we currently do. A behaviour change report by the government’s ‘Nudge Unit,’ which called for taxes on aviation and concluded that we need systems change rather than targeting individual behaviour change, was hastily deleted just shortly after its publication. When announcing the 2021 Budget, the chancellor mentioned climate a mere two times, with green funding inadequate for reaching net zero by 2050. While we have already reduced our emissions by 41% since 1990, there is still a long way to go. The majority of reductions have come from the decarbonisation of our power sector, yet the arguably harder aspects of emissions, from aviation to home insulation to the consumption of meat, is not seeing as distinct a reduction, and these seem to be topic points that the current government is less willing to confront.
We need to talk about fossil fuels
The International Energy Agency – the leading global body on energy – was unmistakably clear in its announcement that no new fossil fuel developments can go ahead if we are to stick to our commitments under the Paris Agreement. Despite this stark statement, the UK government is still “worryingly cosy with the fossil fuel sector”, as Greenpeace put it. The Net Zero Review was a far cry from phasing out oil and gas, aiming to make them cleaner instead. Open Democracy recently revealed that the Conservative Party accepted more than a million pounds from oil and gas firms since the last election, and an analysis by environmental investigation group Desmog found that ministers met fossil fuel firms nine times as often as clean energy ones. It is no wonder, then, that Shell and BP – who were present at over 50 meetings respectively – are receiving favourable treatment. Greenpeace recently lost a court case against BP’s drilling of 30 million barrels of oil near Aberdeen, and the Cambo oilfield off the coast of Shetland is still looming in the realm of possibility despite international criticism.
The power of people
Progressive climate legislation and policy such as the recent UN resolution will be important in achieving net zero and environmental justice. But we should not forget the crucial role grassroots movements have and will continue to play. The UK was the first government in the world to declare a climate emergency after sustained pressure from groups such as Extinction Rebellion, and continues to be held accountable by many brave activists taking to the streets, as well as courts - such as the Paid to Pollute and Global Majority cases, who are suing the UK Government over polluter payouts and the human rights impacts of climate inaction. Speaking of human rights, the UK is one of the few countries withholding support for a UN proposal to recognise a safe and healthy environment as a human right.
Looking ahead...
The UK government must be decisive about transitioning away from the fossil fuel industry and do so in a safe and fair manner. A just transition for oil workers must be at the heart of any fossil fuel phase-out. At the same time, we must radically restructure the way our economy works - away from throwaway culture and the fantasy of eternal growth, and towards more circular and regenerative models. If our Prime Minister truly wants COP26 to be a “turning point for humanity”, his words must be followed by urgent and transformative policy. The world has already burned through 86% of its carbon budget, and now there is no more time to lose. And whatever comes out of COP, world leaders can be assured that activists and the public will be watching and holding them accountable to their actions.
Jessica Kleczka
Jessica is a social scientist and writer working in climate policy. She is from Poland originally and now splits her time between Wales and London. She mainly writes about Climate Psychology, and her previous research has focused on cultural barriers to systemic change. She has been involved with a number of grassroots groups and uses her social media platform to educate others on science communication and the mental health effects of the climate crisis. In her free time, she’s a classical pianist and enjoys spending time in nature. You can find more of her work on her website jessicakleczka.com. Her Instagram/Twitter handle is @jessicakleczka.