Shapps says net zero progress ‘pretty good’ in face of climate advisers’ doubts

Labour accused the Government of ‘complacency’ on meeting net-zero targets

Energy Secretary Grant Shapps has defended the Government’s record on reducing carbon emissions (Stefan Rousseau/PA) (PA Wire)

Energy Secretary Grant Shapps has insisted the Government is doing a “pretty good job” on decarbonisation after a week in which an independent group of climate advisers expressed doubts on progress.

Labour accused the Government of “complacency” and being on the receiving end of the Climate Change Committee’s (CCC) “most scathing assessment in their history”.

Last week, the CCC’s latest progress report described the Government’s efforts to scale up action towards reaching net zero as “worryingly slow”.

Chairman of the CCC, Conservative peer Lord Deben, said it was “not a report that suggests satisfactory progress”.

Based on our record to date, we're doing a pretty good job

Grant Shapps, Energy Secretary

And Lord Goldsmith resigned as a minister in the Foreign Office with a portfolio for the environment and climate change, citing the Prime Minister’s “apathy” towards those issues.

But Mr Shapps was upbeat about the UK’s progress on reducing carbon emissions when facing questions in the Commons on Tuesday.

Labour’s shadow climate secretary Ed Miliband said: “Six days ago the Climate Change Committee delivered their most scathing assessment in their history on the Government’s record, saying they were off track on 41 out of 50 key targets, and they say we have gone, and I quote, ‘markedly’ backwards in the last year on his watch.

“Who does he blame for this failure?”

Even the Tories don't trust the Tories on the climate crisis

Ed Miliband, Labour's shadow climate secretary

Mr Shapps said: “We’ve taken this country from having only 7% of renewable energy to over 40%. We’ve decarbonised faster than any other G7 nation. And we are on track for carbon budget four, having already overdelivered on one, two, three.

“I just say, based on our record to date, we’re doing a pretty good job.”

Mr Miliband said: “That answer is total complacency from a Secretary of State who has just been proven to be failing on every major aspect of his agenda.

“That’s why Lord Goldsmith resigned, Lord Deben says he’s failing, (Conservative former prime minister Theresa May) says we are losing the global race.

“Isn’t the truth that now even the Tories don’t trust the Tories on the climate crisis.”

Mr Shapps said: “If you are not prepared to follow the data – over delivering on the commitments on carbon budgets one, two and three, more likely to meet carbon budget four than a year ago – if you want to ignore all of that and then still roll out the question that he had pre-written then you get to the conclusions of the right honourable gentleman.

“But the truth is, this Government is delivering on the issues of climate change, but we are doing it whilst protecting every single household in this country from Putin’s tyranny.

“Something I’m afraid that’s already been surrendered by (Mr Miliband) who subscribes to the Just Stop Oil approach.”