Government Failure on Behaviour Change Risks Net Zero Targets
The government’s approach to behaviour change is failing, according to the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee. If the government does not act differently, the UK will not meet its net zero and environment targets.
Drawing on the Committee on Climate Change’s assessment, the House of Lords Committee estimates that a third of greenhouse gas emission reductions up to 2035 need behaviour change. This includes choosing lower-carbon technology and reducing carbon-intensive consumption.
The government has acted on electric cars to influence people’s choices, but that action has not been replicated in other areas.
Instead, ministers are relying too heavily on as-yet-undeveloped technologies.
The Chair of the Committee Baroness Parminter said:
‘After a Summer of record temperatures, fires and hosepipe bans, it has never been more apparent that the twin crises of climate change and nature loss demand an immediate and sustained response.
baroness parminter, chair of the house of lords environment and climate change committee
People power is critical to reach our environmental goals, but unless we are encouraged and enabled to change behaviours in how we travel, what we eat and buy, and how we heat our homes, we won’t meet those targets. Polling shows the public is ready for leadership from the government. People want to know how to play their part in tackling climate change and environmental damage.
The government’s mantra of ‘going with the grain of consumer choice’ demonstrates a reluctance to help people cut carbon-intensive consumption. It is in a unique position to guide the public in changing their behaviours, however their approach is inadequate in the face of the urgent scale of the environmental challenge.’
Travel
In Chapter 7 of the report, travel is identified as one of the Challenges and Opportunities in Key Behaviour Change Areas.
After hearing evidence from witnesses including Chris Boardman the Committee concludes:
‘Transport, including personal travel, makes the largest contribution to emissions. We welcome the government’s focus on the rollout of low-emissions vehicles – including through phasing out the sale of new petrol and diesel cars – and its efforts to improve active travel infrastructure and local public transport systems. It is critical that these efforts deliver easier, safe and more accessible walking and cycling routes and remove barriers to public transport use if we are to achieve the behaviour change in travel needed to meet the UK’s climate and environmental goals.’
para 178 of the committee’s report
The Committee adds:
‘The government must deliver on its ambition to improve active travel infrastructure and local public transport systems by providing the necessary resources and supporting local government bodies to implement projects on the ground. The upcoming Transport and Levelling-Up and Regeneration Bills should be used to ensure local government bodies have the necessary powers to prioritise active travel and local public transport – including in new developments. The cost-benefit assessment process for transport projects should be revised to give greater weight to reducing emissions.’
para 179 of the committee’s report
The Committee also says that the government’s failure to acknowledge the need for a reduction in long-haul flights is misplaced, and that a frequent flyer levy should be considered.
Government Drops Appeal against Ruling that Net Zero Strategy is Unlawful
Meanwhile, the government has dropped an appeal against a court ruling that its Net Zero Strategy is unlawful, reports The Times.
A legal challenge to the Net Zero Strategy was launched by Friends of the Earth, the Good Law Project and Client Earth, due to a lack of detail about carbon reduction. Without the details, it appeared that the government would fall short of its 2035 target by ten million tonnes of CO2e.
The court upheld the challenge on the basis that the strategy did not comply with the Climate Change Act 2008. There was not enough information to know if carbon targets would be met or not, and the lack of detail rendered public scrutiny impossible.
A new Net Zero Strategy will be have to be published by March 2023, with detailed emissions reduction figures for each individual policy.
Summer 2022 Smashed Dozens of UK Records
The BBC reports that Summer 2022 smashed dozens of UK temperature records.
Met Office data show that new all-time hot temperatures were set at 56 of 109 longstanding weather stations during the July heatwave. The biggest leap was at Bramham in West Yorkshire, where the previous record was beaten by 6.3C.
Temperatures passed 40C for the first time. The new record high of 40.3C was at Coningsby in Lincolnshire – a full 1.6C higher than the previous hottest temperature of 38.7C at Cambridge Botanical Gardens in Summer 2019.
The northerly extent of the hot temperatures was remarkable. Kielder Castle in Northumberland was 5C hotter than ever before, and Whitby 4.8C hotter.
Europe suffered what was probably its worst drought in 500 years. Temperatures in Portugal hit 47C, the hottest ever, and in France 64 different areas experienced record highs. On average the Summer was 0.4C hotter than the previous record set last year.