The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero published Accelerating to Net Zero, its formal response to the Climate Change Committee's 2024 Progress Report, on 17 December 20241. The document was presented to Parliament under section 37 of the Climate Change Act 2008 and ordered by the House of Commons to be printed the same day1.
The response sets out the government's position on the CCC's findings. It states that the CCC's Progress Report, published two weeks after the government took office, found that "only a third of emission reductions required to reach the 2030 target are currently covered by credible plans" and that "for those policies in delivery, only 5 out of 22 indicators are shown to be on track"1. The government says it is "acting or partially acting on all of the CCC's 35 recommendations to UK Government"1.
"Our Clean Energy Superpower Mission has 2 pillars: clean power by 2030 and accelerating to net zero."
The document lists measures it says have already been taken. These include removing what it calls the de facto onshore wind ban in England, publishing Decarbonisation Readiness requirements in October 2024, and confirming up to £21.7 billion over 25 years for carbon capture, usage and storage on 4 October 20241. It also cites a reformed Clean Heat Market Mechanism due to start on 1 April 2025, a £5 million climate change adaptation hub launched in September 2024, and a Local Authority Climate Service pilot launched on 9 October 20241.
On the international side, the response records that at COP29 the UK announced a 2035 Nationally Determined Contribution headline target to reduce all greenhouse gas emissions by at least 81% on 1990 levels, excluding international aviation and shipping emissions1. It states that UK greenhouse gas emissions were provisionally down 53% in 2023 on 1990 levels1.
| Commitment | Date given in the response |
|---|---|
| Reformed Clean Heat Market Mechanism | From 1 April 2025 |
| Contracts for Difference Allocation Round 7 | Opens in 2025 |
| Sustainable aviation fuel mandate | From 2025 |
| Summit hosted in London | 24 to 25 April 2025 |
| Carbon Budget 7 to be set | By June 2026 |
The response also notes that the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments jointly commissioned the National Energy System Operator to develop a Strategic Spatial Energy Plan on 22 October 20241. It confirms the commitment to phasing out new cars that rely solely on internal combustion engines by 2030, and to all new cars and vans being fully zero emission at the exhaust by 20351.
Why it matters for households
The document frames home energy in terms of exposure to fossil fuel markets. It states that typical energy bills nearly doubled in the space of a year and that "so long as we are dependent on fossil fuels, we will be stuck on the rollercoaster of volatile international markets"1. It describes warmer, better insulated homes as one of the social benefits of the transition, and says smart meters can help households control their energy use1.
For a household, the practical content is mostly about what is scheduled rather than what is already in place. The Clean Heat Market Mechanism is the policy in this response with the most direct bearing on how homes are heated, and it is given a start date of 1 April 20251. The government's own assessment of its carbon budgets and net zero targets is that most required emission reductions are not yet backed by credible plans, which is the gap the response is answering1.
The response does not set out new grant rates, eligibility rules or installation standards for individual households. Where those exist, they are not reported in this document.
What happens next
The response says a detailed plan to meet the UK's carbon budgets, including the 2035 Nationally Determined Contribution, will be set out "in the coming months"1. Carbon Budget 7 must be set by June 20261. The reformed Clean Heat Market Mechanism is due to begin on 1 April 2025, Contracts for Difference Allocation Round 7 opens in 2025, and a summit will be hosted in London on 24 to 25 April 20251.