UK environmental policy digest – August

Asim Ali, IEMA’s Public Affairs Officer, examines the UK Government's policy announcements from August and how they affect the goals of decarbonisation and environmental sustainability. This blog post is part of a monthly series that also reflects on the activity of relevant select committees and all-party parliamentary groups.

Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

For the benefit of communities and to lessen the negative effects of air pollution on people's health, Defra has announced a new round of air quality grants for local authorities. For a share of £6 million in funding to address local air pollution, councils throughout England are encouraged to submit applications.

Defra has also launched the Air Quality Strategy for England, serving as a comprehensive framework empowering local authorities to maximise their capabilities in enhancing air quality within their communities. Under this framework, Defra has unveiled a fresh round of air quality grants designed to bring about improvements in air quality and safeguard public health. Councils throughout England are encouraged to submit applications to access a portion of the £6 million in funding allocated to combat local air pollution.

Moreover, the government has pledged £10 million for the recently established Global Biodiversity Framework Fund. The goal of this program is to stop the ongoing loss of biodiversity on a global scale. Besides this, Defra have also announced that the UK Overseas Territories Biodiversity Strategy will be published by Autumn 2024.

The UK Government has funded twelve new projects that will restore thousands of hectares of peatlands as part of its efforts to prevent climate change and promote biodiversity recovery. This large investment, which totals more than £50 million, is in line with the government's pledge to restore about 35,000 hectares of peatland in England by the end of this legislative term. More information is provided here.

Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ)

Claire Coutinho has been appointed as the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, succeeding Grant Shapps MP. In her new role, Ms Coutinho leads the department responsible for guiding the UK’s actions in addressing climate change and ensuring that we achieve net zero by 2050.

Ms Coutinho was previously a member of the Conservative Environment Network, a coalition of environmentally conscious Conservative politicians, and held the position of Vice Chair for the Sustainable Finance APPG which is dedicated to exploring the financial sector's role in advancing the net zero emissions target.

Grant Shapps, the former energy security secretary, announced a major increase in government funding for renewable energy projects totaling £22 million, strengthening the industry-leading Contracts for Difference programme. Long-standing technologies like solar and offshore wind, which rank among the most economical domestic energy sources, will notably benefit from the additional support.

In addition, the government has revealed plans for a £10 million fund set to launch in the autumn, with the aim of advancing the government's mission to rekindle optimism and pride within local communities. This fund will enable rural and local communities throughout England to establish local energy initiatives that not only create local employment opportunities, but also enhance energy security. Both urban and rural communities will have the opportunity to vie for a share of this newly established £10 million Community Energy Fund.

Furthermore, the government has introduced a new initiative through the UK Business Climate Hub to assist British businesses in lowering their energy costs and reducing their carbon emissions. This comprehensive support package includes access to expert advice, a complimentary carbon calculator, and a suite of innovative tools designed to help businesses measure, monitor, and report on their emissions.

The government plans to use artificial intelligence to speed up industrial decarbonisation initiatives across the country. This initiative, which has received over £4 million in government financing for green ideas, strives to advance sustainable practices. Twelve green AI projects will also receive a share of £1 million to help advance decarbonisation and improve the production of renewable energy. These programmes will be crucial in moving the UK closer to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

The Net Zero Council, comprising CEOs from prominent companies such as Co-op, HSBC, Siemens, NatWest, and Cemex, have introduced a framework designed to enable businesses to formulate customised action plans for reducing emissions within their respective sectors. This framework aims to establish a strong, trustworthy, and uniform set of criteria that will underpin the development of sector-specific roadmaps for businesses. It offers a structured approach to help companies in their efforts to combat climate change and achieve net-zero emissions goals.

The government has recently unveiled the Biomass Strategy 2023, outlining the crucial role that sustainable biomass can play in the pursuit of net-zero emissions. This strategy delineates the government's planned actions to bolster the sustainability of biomass and highlights the diverse opportunities for employing sustainable biomass across various sectors of the economy.

In addition, the government has presented the UK Hydrogen Strategy, outlining the roadmap for establishing a flourishing low-carbon hydrogen sector in the UK. This strategy is designed to align with the heightened ambition of achieving 10 gigawatts (GW) of low-carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030.

Select Committees

Environmental Audit Committee

The Environmental Audit Committee is currently conducting an inquiry focused on the present and prospective role of natural capital within the green economy. This inquiry seeks to assess the government's proposals for increasing private investment in initiatives aimed at bolstering nature recovery. The inquiry closes on 22 September 2023.

All Party Parliamentary Groups (APPG)

Environment APPG

The Environment All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) is hosting a discussion session with the Climate Change Committee to evaluate the progress of the United Kingdom toward achieving its net zero emissions goal. This session will delve into strategies for effectively utilising evidence and recommendations, including those provided by the Climate Change Committee, WSP, and the Energy Saving Trust, to advocate for policies that will put us on a strong path to meeting net zero.