The United Kingdom’s Energy Secretary, Claire Coutinho, has spoken up in defense of the country’s environmental record amidst criticism from the chief of the Climate Change Committee. Chris Stark, who is stepping down from his position at the watchdog, told BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that Chancellor Rishi Sunak had “set us back” with his decisions regarding climate change. Ms Coutinho, however, claims that the government has a “very strong track record of delivery” and that the UK is the first among the world’s major economies to have halved its emissions since 1990.
Despite her defense of the government’s performance, Ms Coutinho also acknowledged the need for a “sensible and pragmatic” approach in achieving net-zero targets. The UK is legally obliged to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, but the Energy Secretary is hesitant to “heap costs on families” in its pursuit of this goal. Ms Coutinho has made changes to the UK’s tax system since assuming her position two years ago, but she insists that the government’s approach to achieving net-zero targets will be cautious and calculated.
Mr Stark criticized the government’s approach to environmental policy, arguing that the UK’s diplomatic efforts had been negatively impacted by Mr Sunak’s announcement. In a bid to reduce emissions, the government delayed its plan to ban new petrol and diesel cars and weakened targets on phasing out gas boilers. The Climate Change Committee provides independent advice to ministers and monitors progress towards meeting its targets, which Mr Stark says have been diminished considerably.
The Labour party has also faced criticism over its environmental policies, with Mr Stark urging them to be more “bold” on climate change. In February, the party backtracked on an earlier commitment to environmental spending, but they are still aiming for net-zero emissions by 2030. Shadow justice secretary Shabana Mahmood says that although Labour has had to “scale back” its plans, it remains committed to its target
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