The Climate Change Committee has called on the Government to reverse three recent policy rollbacks, in its Progress in Reducing Emissions 2024 Report to Parliament, laid before Parliament on 18 July 20241. The Committee's priority recommendations include removing the exemption of 20% of households from the 2035 fossil-fuel boiler installation phase-out, addressing the gap left by removing obligations on landlords to improve the energy efficiency of rented homes, and reinstating the 2030 phase-out of new fossil-fuel car and van sales1.
The Committee states that only a third of the emissions reductions required to achieve the 2030 target are currently covered by credible plans1. It describes the previous Government's changes to buildings policy, including the 20% boiler exemption, as being of particular concern, saying they could seriously undermine the UK's ability to reach its targets1.
"Remove the exemption of 20% of households from the 2035 fossil-fuel boiler installation phase-out, address the gap left by removing obligations on landlords to improve the energy efficiency of rented homes and reinstate the 2030 phase-out of new fossil-fuel car and van sales."
The report also sets out roll-out rates it says are needed by 2030. Approximately 10% of existing UK homes will need to be heated by a heat pump, against approximately 1% today, and the market share of new electric cars needs to rise from 16.5% to nearly 100%1. On the Energy Price Cap and household bills, the Committee's first priority action is to make electricity cheaper by removing policy costs from electricity prices, so that the lower running costs of heat pumps compared with fossil-fuel boilers are reflected in household bills1.
| Measure | Current position | Position needed by 2030 |
|---|---|---|
| Homes heated by heat pump | Approximately 1% | Approximately 10% |
| Market share of new electric cars | 16.5% | Nearly 100% |
Final emissions data confirm the UK achieved its Third Carbon Budget, covering 2018 to 2022, with the net carbon account for the period at 2,153 MtCO2e against a budget of 2,544 MtCO2e, an overachievement of 391 MtCO2e, or 15%1. The Committee notes that in 2019 the Government carried over 88 MtCO2e from the Second to the Third Carbon Budget against its advice, but then confirmed it would not use that carry-forward1. Provisional estimates put 2023 emissions at 393 MtCO2e, down 5.4% from 415 MtCO2e in 20221.
Why it matters for households
The three rollbacks the Committee wants reversed each touch the rules that govern a home's heating, its running costs and, for landlords and tenants, the standard a rented property must meet. The 20% exemption means a fifth of households are not covered by the 2035 phase-out of fossil-fuel boiler installations, so for those homes the date at which a gas or oil boiler can no longer be fitted has not been set1. Removing landlord energy efficiency obligations leaves a gap in the standards that apply to privately rented homes, which affects both tenants and the landlords who would have had to fund improvements1.
The Committee frames the wider argument around energy independence, stating that British-based renewable energy is the cheapest and fastest way to reduce vulnerability to volatile global fossil fuel markets, and that the faster the UK gets off fossil fuels the more secure it becomes1. It also notes that the fall in emissions in 2023 came primarily from a 10.5% fall in total gas demand, including reductions in gas consumption in buildings and industry, which may in part reflect continuing high gas prices1. The report says there was no evidence backing the claim that dialling back ambition would reduce costs to citizens1.
What happens next
The Committee says it will publish its advice on the Seventh Carbon Budget and an updated path to Net Zero early in 20251. It sets out ten priority actions for the remainder of 2024, including making electricity cheaper, reversing the rollbacks, removing planning barriers for heat pumps, electric vehicle charge points and onshore wind, and publishing a strategy to support skills1. The report was presented to Parliament under Section 36(1) of the Climate Change Act 20081.