Christian Aid reaction to CCC progress report  

Responding to the new progress report by the UK's Climate Change Committee, Dr Kat Kramer, Christian Aid’s climate policy lead, said:
 
“It is clear that the UK needs to rapidly get its own house in order for it to have international credibility as the President of the COP26 climate summit in November.
 
“Reports this week that the UK Government is planning to approve new oil fields in the North Sea suggests the Government is failing to recognise the urgency needed to tackle climate change and this risks undermining it’s credibility at this crucial time.  Considering the vital role the UK will be playing as COP26 host this year we cannot afford to make decisions that threaten the success of the summit and the fate of those on the front line of the climate crisis.
 
“The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is currently developing a net zero plan for the UK. This needs to set a gold standard for the rest of the world in how to reduce emissions. That means using the anticipated COVID economic stimulus package to frontload action to transform our economy and to minimise our emissions rapidly and radically as possible to near zero.
 
“Only with a gold standard plan to reduce our emissions to near zero can the UK use its convening power as COP26 President to get similar commitments from other major economies. Otherwise, the climate impacts that will result from their inaction will doom the poorest and most vulnerable to climate change devastation.”