Their report summary is nothing if not blunt. They have the impression that the whole thing is a fantastic mess, but like most UK politicians don’t question whether the obsession with so-called ‚greenhouse gas emissions‘ and the demonising of carbon dioxide is justified in the first place. A few extracts…
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The government has unveiled a plan without answers to the key questions of how it will fund the transition to net zero, including how it will deliver policy on and replace income from taxes such as fuel duty, or even a general direction of travel on levies and taxation.

The Government has no reliable estimate of what the process of implementing the net zero policy is actually likely to cost British consumers, households, businesses and government itself.

The HM Treasury witnesses we questioned were reluctant to be drawn on what the future costs of achieving net zero would be, cautioning that while the Climate Change Committee has provided estimates, they contain ‘heroic assumptions’ with errors potentially compounding over very long periods.
. . .
Certainty for business and consumers is critical but as highlighted repeatedly in this Committee’s recent reports into Achieving Net Zero (HC935), Environmental tax measures (HC 937), Low emission cars (HC 186), and the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme (HC 635), government has too often pursued stop-start strategies which undermine confidence for business, investors and consumers in committing to measures which would reduce carbon emissions, especially when some green alternatives are still significantly more expensive than current options.
. . .
A top-down strategy from government won’t deliver on its own. There is a risk that a series of disconnected initiatives announced by central government will not bring about the changes that are set out in law.
. . .
In addition, Government rightly recognises it has much more work to do to understand the emissions impact of international supply chains, including the risk of domestic emissions being only window dressing if these are merely shifting emissions offshore to other countries.

Full report here.

via Tallbloke’s Talkshop

March 2, 2022, by oldbrew

UK Public Accounts Committee rubbishes net zero plans