House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee
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| House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee | |
|---|---|
| Name | House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee |
| Chamber | House of Commons |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Type | Select Committee |
| Established | 2009 |
| Abolished | 2016 |
| Jurisdiction | Energy and climate change policy |
| Parent body | House of Commons |
House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee
The House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee was a UK parliamentary select committee created to scrutinise ministers, examine policy and produce reports relating to energy and climate change. It operated within the House of Commons framework and engaged with actors such as the Department of Energy and Climate Change, the Committee on Climate Change, industry groups including National Grid plc, and international agencies such as the International Energy Agency and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The committee published inquiries, called witnesses from organisations like BP plc, Shell plc, and Friends of the Earth, and influenced debates in forums such as the House of Lords and the Cabinet Office.
History and Establishment
The committee was established following the formation of the Department of Energy and Climate Change in 2008 and the 2009 reconfiguration of select committees within the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Its creation followed precedents set by committees such as the Environmental Audit Committee and drew on models used by the Energy and Commerce Committee in the United States House of Representatives and the European Parliament's Committee on Industry, Research and Energy. Early activity reflected priorities from the Copenhagen Conference period, engaging with initiatives from the G20 and liaising with bodies like the Carbon Trust and the Royal Society. The committee operated until departmental restructuring in 2016, when responsibilities were redistributed amid wider changes involving the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
Remit and Functions
The committee’s remit encompassed oversight of the Department of Energy and Climate Change and affiliated public bodies including the Committee on Climate Change, the Oil and Gas Authority, and regulators such as the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets. It examined implementation of legislation such as the Climate Change Act 2008, scrutinised mechanisms like the Renewable Obligation and the Contracts for Difference scheme, and assessed programmes tied to international commitments under the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. Typical functions included conducting inquiries, publishing reports, summoning witnesses from organisations such as Energy UK, EDF Energy, and ScottishPower, and producing recommendations aimed at the Prime Minister and departmental ministers. The committee also engaged with devolved administrations represented by entities like the Scottish Government and the Welsh Government on cross-jurisdictional energy matters.
Membership and Leadership
Membership comprised backbench MPs from multiple parties in the House of Commons, with chairs elected by the whole Commons in line with procedures used for committees such as the Public Accounts Committee and the Transport Select Committee. Notable chairs and members interacted with figures from the Conservative Party, the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats, and smaller groups including Plaid Cymru and the Scottish National Party. Chairs liaised with ministers from the Department of Energy and Climate Change and officials from the Treasury and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. The committee’s secretariat was staffed by clerks experienced in inquiry processes similar to those of the Foreign Affairs Committee and coordinated evidence sessions drawing on expertise from institutions such as the University of Oxford, the London School of Economics, and the Energy Institute.
Inquiries and Major Reports
The committee undertook inquiries into topics including electricity market reform, household energy bills, carbon capture and storage, energy security, and carbon budgets. High-profile reports examined the Levant Basin developments and North Sea production with witnesses from Royal Dutch Shell and TotalEnergies, and conducted investigations into smart metering programmes involving British Gas. Reports often referenced statutory instruments such as emissions targets in the Climate Change Act 2008 and intersected with policy debates in the National Infrastructure Commission and the Government Actuary's Department. The committee’s outputs influenced public debate through evidence sessions with organisations like the Met Office, the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, and Greenpeace International.
Impact on Policy and Legislation
The committee’s recommendations contributed to revisions in mechanisms including the Contracts for Difference auction design, interventions on the Fuel Poverty strategy, and adjustments to the Electricity Market Reform agenda. Its scrutiny informed ministerial decisions in the Department of Energy and Climate Change and fed into consultations run by the Ofgem and the Committee on Climate Change. Parliamentary debates in the House of Commons and legislative amendments introduced by MPs often cited the committee’s findings, and the work influenced cross-departmental planning involving the Treasury and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Internationally, the committee engaged with counterparts in the European Commission and delegations to the United Nations Climate Change Conferences.
Criticisms and Controversies
Critics argued the committee sometimes duplicated work of other bodies such as the Environmental Audit Committee and the National Audit Office, and that its influence varied with ministerial responsiveness, echoing tensions found in oversight discussions involving the Public Accounts Committee. Controversies arose over gender and geographic balance in memberships noted alongside debates about corporate influence following evidence sessions with companies like Centrica plc and ExxonMobil. The committee’s abolition and the transfer of responsibilities during the 2016 reorganisation prompted debate in the House of Commons and among stakeholders including ClientEarth and Friends of the Earth about parliamentary capacity to scrutinise energy and climate policy.