Committee on Climate Change

Two members of the Adaptation Sub-Committee to the Committee on Climate Change, Professor Tim Palmer and Dr Andrew Dugolecki, will be leaving their posts in the New Year. The ASC will now consist of six: Lord John Krebs (Chair), Sir Graham Wynne, Professor Sam Fankhauser, Professor Jim Hall, Professor Martin Parry and Professor Anne Johnson.

Lord Adair Turner, Chair of the CCC, has written to the Secretary of State Chris Huhne expressing concern about some of the detailed proposals for the Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation (ECO).

On 20th December, we announced that our Chair, Lord Adair Turner will be moving on from the CCC from Spring 2012, in order that he can focus on his role as Chair of the Financial Services Authority (FSA). Lord Turner has been Chair of the Committee since it was set up in 2008, and has been influential in guiding our analysis and in encouraging Government to strengthen its approach to tackling climate change. Since 2010, he has combined this role with his full-time role as Chair of the FSA.

The Committee published their first comprehensive analysis of the impact of meeting carbon budgets on household energy bills (Dec 15th), concluding that recent bill increases are primarily due to increased wholesale gas costs.

The Committee’s findings therefore disprove often repeated claims that recent bill increases are due to environmental policy costs, and that major investments in low-carbon power capacity will drive dramatic bill increases over the next decade (e.g. as high as £3,000).

Lord Krebs, Chair of the ASC presented the ASC’s first report to Scottish Government on 24th November at Our Dynamic Earth Centre in Edinburgh.

This first independent assessment finds that the Scottish Government has made a good start in raising awareness of what climate change is likely to mean for people’s health, Scotland’s economy and its internationally important natural heritage. However, the report finds that over coming decades, Scotland could become increasingly vulnerable to impacts of climate change unless it strengthens measures to adapt. It will be important that the Scottish Government now builds on existing foundations to ensure that its adaptation framework is actively addressing the risks from a changing climate:

The Committee’s review of bioenergy was launched on the 7th December at the Royal Society. Lord Turner, Chair of the Committee presented the key recommendations and explained the detailed analysis in the report. A lively question and answer session followed.

The role of bioenergy in climate change mitigation is controversial and the review illustrates significant uncertainties around emissions reductions that can be achieved through using it, future levels of sustainable supply, and where this might best be used across the economy.

In its report published on 18th October, the Committee highlighted progress made by the Welsh Government towards reducing emissions and preparing for climate change.

The Committee’s report considers latest emissions data, showing that emissions in 2009 fell by around 14% as a result of the recession, and suggests that these are likely to have increased in 2010 due to the cold winter.

The CCC was asked by Northern Ireland’s Environment Minister to provide advice on whether it is appropriate for Northern Ireland to enact its own climate change legislation, including the introduction of legally binding emissions targets. The 2008 UK Climate Change Act extends to Northern Ireland but does not specify particular targets or budgets for Northern Ireland. The Committee published its advice on 2nd November 2011.

The Committee’s Review of UK Shipping Emissions was launched on 3rd November at the British Chamber of Shipping.

The review provides the first detailed assessment of the UK’s share of current international shipping emissions, projects emissions out to 2050 and estimates the abatement potential from shipping. The analysis in the report shows that:

Chair of the Adaptation Sub-Committee (ASC), Lord John Krebs, has written to Rt Hon Greg Clark MP, setting out the Committee’s advice on the Draft National Planning Policy Statement.

The ASC first identified the importance of the land-use planning system for adaptation in their 2010 report. The Committee’s next report in 2011 reviewed how the land-use planning system is contributing to the UK’s adaptation in a sample of local authorities.