Sixth Carbon Budget

Sixth Carbon Budget
Name	Sixth Carbon Budget
Issued by	Committee on Climate Change
Published	2020
Covers	United Kingdom
Target year	2030
Emissions reduction	78% reduction (net)
Related legislation	Climate Change Act 2008, Net Zero by 2050 policy
Chair	John Gummer, Baron Deben
Preceded by	Fifth Carbon Budget
Succeeded by	Seventh Carbon Budget

Sixth Carbon Budget The Sixth Carbon Budget set a statutory UK pathway for greenhouse gas reductions to 2032 and framed national commitments under the Climate Change Act 2008 alongside the Net Zero by 2050 policy, shaping policy across the United Kingdom and devolved administrations such as Scottish Government, Welsh Government, and Northern Ireland Executive. Prepared by the Committee on Climate Change under the leadership of John Gummer, Baron Deben, it informed ministers in Prime Minister Boris Johnson's administration and influenced debates in the House of Commons and House of Lords while interacting with international fora including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Paris Agreement, and the G7.

Background and legal framework

The budget emerged from statutory duties under the Climate Change Act 2008 requiring multi-year carbon budgets advised by the Committee on Climate Change and debated in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It built on prior statutory instruments like the Fifth Carbon Budget and policy commitments in the Net Zero by 2050 policy announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson and subsequently legislated via secondary instruments addressed by departments such as the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and scrutinised by the Public Accounts Committee. The budget aligned with international obligations framed at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and pursued consistency with submissions to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and national contributions under the Paris Agreement.

Committee on Climate Change recommendations

The Committee on Climate Change recommended a 78% reduction in net UK greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 relative to 1990 levels, advising a balanced approach across mitigation, removal, and offsets. The committee, chaired by John Gummer, Baron Deben, drew on expert inputs including researchers from Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, model comparisons with the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, and consultation with devolved administrations such as the Scottish Government and Welsh Government. The report referenced sector experts from institutions like Imperial College London, University of Oxford, and University of Cambridge, and engaged stakeholders including trade unions represented by the Trades Union Congress and business groups such as the Confederation of British Industry.

Emissions targets and sectoral pathways

Sectoral pathways specified deep reductions across energy, transport, industry, buildings, agriculture, and land use, allocating roles to technologies such as offshore wind, electric vehicles, carbon capture and storage, and hydrogen economy solutions. The roadmap included electrification of heating via heat pumps supported by building retrofit programmes linked to initiatives like the Green Homes Grant and coordinated with grid upgrades overseen by National Grid ESO. Agriculture and land use adjustments referenced restoration measures connected to Peatland restoration, afforestation aligned with UK Forestry Standard, and soil carbon practices informed by research from Natural England and Forestry Commission.

Policy measures and implementation

Implementation pathways relied on policy instruments including carbon pricing influenced by the UK Emissions Trading Scheme, regulatory standards akin to measures from the Office for Low Emission Vehicles, and public investment models paralleling programs by the Green Investment Bank and municipal actors such as the Greater London Authority. Delivery required coordination with financial regulators like the Bank of England and market actors including the London Stock Exchange to mobilise private capital and green finance vehicles aligned with reporting expectations from Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures advocates. Deployment of technologies such as offshore wind and carbon capture and storage depended on contracts and funding mechanisms similar to those used by Department for Transport and Ofgem.

Impact assessment and modelling

The committee employed integrated assessment and energy system models compared with scenarios from the International Energy Agency and findings reported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Modelling considered socioeconomic co-benefits such as jobs in sectors represented by UK Steel and supply chain impacts involving firms on the London Stock Exchange. Analyses referenced emissions inventories maintained by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and metrics used by the Office for National Statistics for greenhouse gas accounting, aligning with reporting norms under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and scientific guidance from the Met Office.

Criticisms, revisions, and updates

Critics from think tanks like the Institute for Fiscal Studies and Adam Smith Institute debated the budget's cost estimates, while environmental NGOs including Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace argued for faster deployment and stronger safeguards. Industry groups such as the Confederation of British Industry raised concerns about transition timing, mirrored in commentary from academics at London School of Economics and University College London. Revisions and subsequent government responses involved policy adjustments debated in the House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts and informed by research from the National Infrastructure Commission and reviews by the Treasury.

International context and comparisons

The budget was compared with carbon budgeting approaches in peers including the European Union, Germany, France, and subnational plans like those of California, Quebec, and New Zealand under its emissions budgeting framework. International analyses referenced the Paris Agreement's global stocktake and scenario work from the International Energy Agency and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cross-border collaborations involved knowledge exchange with agencies such as the International Renewable Energy Agency and multilateral forums like the G7 and COP26 where UK commitments were scrutinised alongside plans from the United States and China.

Category:Climate policy