1.  PM to chair new Cabinet Committee on Climate Change

The Prime Minister will chair a new Cabinet Committee on Climate Change to drive further action across government to protect our environment, reduce emissions and improve air quality. Published 17 October 2019  The Prime Minister is announcing today, Thursday 17 October, that he will chair a new Cabinet Committee on Climate Change. This will drive further action across government to protect our environment, reduce emissions and improve air quality. The first government committee of its kind, it will bring together ministers responsible for domestic and international climate change policy and provide a forum to hold departments to account for their actions to combat climate change. This will ensure that the action we take here in the UK to deliver on our net zero commitment and our wider international effort to tackle climate change properly support and reinforce each other. Getting to net zero emissions by 2050 will require profound change across government, and across society, and the Committee will play an essential role in co-ordinating this strategy. The Committee will also oversee the UK’s preparations to host the UN’s major climate summit COP26, in November 2020. Click here to read more

2. Committee comments on Government response to CCC’s 2019 Progress Report

15 October 2019   The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has issued a statement following today’s publication of the Government’s official response to the CCC’s 2019 Progress Report to Parliament. The Government is required to assess and respond to the Committee’s summer progress report in October, under the terms of the Climate Change Act.  CCC Chief Executive, Chris Stark, said:

“The Government has indicated it has a plan for a plan to reduce emissions. Delivering the UK’s net-zero economy demands bold and brave policy commitments – and there is still a lot to do. 110 days have passed since net zero became law, and we welcome the growing acknowledgement of the need for increased ambition. There are 13 months until COP26, and new commitments must be made. When it comes to preparing for the effects of climate change, the Government’s approach continues to rest on the need for further research and guidance, instead of action; meanwhile, the country remains unprepared for even a 2 degree rise in global temperature. The UK’s role as a genuine climate leader now rests on tangible action – we will be watching next month’s budget closely.”

3. In the third quarter of 2019, the UK’s windfarms, solar panels, biomass and hydro plants generated more electricity than the combined output from power stations fired by coal, oil and gas, Carbon Brief analysis reveals.