The "slow pace of electrification is putting the UK's climate targets at risk", the UK parliamentary advisory Climate Change Committee (CCC) said today, in its annual progress report, which assesses government progress in reducing emissions.
The CCC noted "good progress in a range of areas", including contracting a record amount of new renewable energy in the latest auction, and on electric vehicles (EVs). Nearly one in four new car sales is now electric, the CCC said.
Moving faster to electrify the UK could be "an opportunity to enhance UK energy security in the face of rising threats", as well as hitting climate goals, the committee said. Reliance on fossil fuels for transport and gas boilers for domestic heating leaves the UK "exposed to geopolitical shocks", it added. Of the UK's emissions, 93pc are now outside the electricity supply sector, the report noted. Surface transport is the highest-emitting sector.
The government should prioritise a "more rapid transition to EVs" and speed up heat pump installations, the CCC said. A "typical UK household will see lower and less volatile bills" by switching to an EV and heat pump from fossil-fuelled alternatives, it said. The net cost for the UK to reach net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 is lower than "a single fossil fuel price shock", the committee found in March.
The government should take "further action to reduce the cost of electricity", and ensure faster industrial electrification, including by speeding grid connections, the report found. The committee found that progress in the agriculture, land use and aviation sectors "has also been too slow".
UK GHG emissions were 407mn t/CO2 equivalent (t/CO2e) in 2025, down by 1.8pc or 7.3mn t/CO2e, compared with 2024, provisional estimates show. The UK is on track to meet its fourth and fifth carbon budgets — which cover 2023-27 and 2028-32, respectively — the CCC said. Carbon budgets, which are legally binding in the UK, cap the total GHG emissions that the UK can emit over five-year periods.
The UK met its first three carbon budgets, largely through decarbonising the power sector and shutting down coal-fired power generation. The country has a legally-binding target to reach net zero GHG emissions by 2050.
But the UK is not on track to achieve its national climate plan — known as a nationally determined contribution (NDC) under the UN climate process — for 2030, the CCC found. It flagged "a significant gap" between government plans and the UK's 2030 NDC commitment to reduce GHG emissions by at least 68pc compared with 1990 levels.
"Credible plans" and plans with "some risks attached" exist for 44pc and 15pc, respectively, of the required GHG reductions to reach the NDC target, the CCC said. For the rest, "significant risks" are attached for 19pc of required cuts, and 4pc have "insufficient plans" in place. The remaining 17pc of emissions reductions required are not covered, the committee said. The UK must reduce its GHG emissions to 291mn t/CO2e by 2030 to meet its NDC.
