Wind turbines in countryside (c) Ben Andrew (rspb-images.com)
Today’s blog is written by Mair Floyd Bosley on what Chris Skidmore MP’s Net Zero Review has to say about nature’s role in the climate crisis.
Chris Skidmore MP has published his widely anticipated Net Zero Review: “Mission Zero”. It offers up a scathing critique of the UK Government’s failures to rise to the climate challenge – but what does it say about nature?
One of the legacies of Liz Truss’ short stint in Government was to commission yet another review of net zero – this time for Chris Skidmore MP to assess the UK’s delivery of net zero to ensure it is being delivered in an ‘economically-efficient way’. Earlier this month, the review was delivered: Tweeted out days early after a leaked copy found its way to the Guardian. Assessments have ranged from “a clear business imperative for the government to invest in net zero now” to “a devastating assessment of Tories’ failures”. But how does the review deliver for climate and nature?
When the RSPB made a submission to Skidmore’s Net Zero Review, we urged the review to recognise that a safe liveable planet is non-negotiable for our survival. We warned that growth that threatens to undermine human existence is not the type of growth our society needs; and our economy will ultimately flounder if we undermine the natural life support systems on which we depend. We highlighted that many actions to restore nature and address the climate crisis come with a plethora of other benefits, socially and economically.
We identified crucial opportunities to facilitate the net zero transition in a nature positive way:
So now the 323-page review is published, what were the conclusions?
Nature and land use
The review acknowledges that our economy is embedded within nature, not external to it. We were pleased to see nature front and centre – with recognition that "achieving net zero and recovering nature are challenges that are inextricably linked.” We were also pleased to see the recommendation that “Consideration of impacts on nature and the environment must flow through all net zero transition policymaking.” The UK Government must now heed the important message in the report that we mustn’t just restore our precious natural habitats such as peat and forest land, but also double down on protecting existing landscapes and the climate benefits they bring. This approach needs to be coupled with the urgent publication of a robust Land-Use Framework, a key report recommendation. This should empower farmers and other local actors to tackle not only the challenges of net zero, but also of nature protection and food security.
Investing in net zero
Mission Zero’s overall recommendations on net zero and the role of renewable energy in achieving it are ambitious and rightly so. In some areas Skidmore pushes for the Government to go further than current policy, whilst in others he skewers the Government for failing to keep up with its own targets. Notably, the review calls for a solar and onshore wind ‘revolution’ - technologies the RSPB believes that, with sensitive siting, have potential for growth at scale in harmony with nature (see our 2050 Energy Vision report).
We welcome the proposal for an overarching government financing strategy for net zero by the end of 2023 is welcome and necessary – one of the criticisms of the Government highlighted in the review is a lack of coordination between departments. Likewise, the recommendation that HMT should hold a review of investment in decarbonisation will be welcome for encouraging renewables and energy efficiency. The recommendation to bring forward the introduction of the Future Homes Standard to 2025 is welcome, as is the 10 year mission to end new gas boilers by 2033 at the latest. We welcome the review’s acknowledgement of the ‘no-brainer’ role that energy efficiency will play in in reaching net zero while keeping energy bills low. This is a major positive from nature’s perspective - the more we can reduce our energy use, the less large-scale energy infrastructure development will be required that can potentially have negative nature impacts.
Offshore wind
The review acknowledges that renewables developments can be held up by planning bottlenecks and the need to find sustainable solutions. The RSPB is urging government leadership on this to accelerate Nature Positive offshore wind that powers healthy seas. We support the recommendation to publish an offshore industries integrated strategy by the end of 2024 – a vital component in a just energy transition. The lack of a system-wide approach to grid development is flagged as causing delay. We support the review in identifying that government must accelerate delivery of its commitments made in the British Energy Security Strategy including ensuring grid connections to support renewable deployment and benefit consumers. It is clear that to reach net zero and provide affordable energy, the UK must urgently address the failings in our marine planning systems and invest in our marine environment to unlock deployment.
Biomass and BECCS
We are disappointed that the review totally fails to reckon with the evidence on the harms of large-scale burning of biomass for electricity. While Skidmore highlights the importance of ‘stringent sustainability criteria’, the review does not describe how current criteria are failing to protect forests and omitting carbon impacts. The review promises a large role for bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), but ignores evidence which suggests this reliance could be a costly mistake for nature and climate. It admits that these technologies are not yet validated – yet describes BECCS as ‘integral’. We are concerned that this reliance on burning wood puts ecosystems and net zero at risk. Read more about our work on bioenergy and BECCS here.
The review delivers a compelling case to invest in nature to tackle the climate crisis, as well as delivering a damning verdict that the Government have fallen drastically behind on decarbonisation. While there are crucial gaps such as an overreliance on risky tree-burning technology the review highlights that there is increasing cohesion across a wide range of sectors about the necessity and benefits of immediate action, and makes some enterprising and detailed recommendations to Government on next steps.
We now wait with bated breath for the publication of the UK’s updated Net Zero Strategy this Spring. As highlighted by Skidmore, the Government has lost precious years on this existential challenge – it’s never been more important that decarbonisation recommendations are implemented, and our economy is transformed. However, they must go further and faster than this review if we want to see a future which delivers for people and nature.
Further Reading:
Nature and climate emergency - https://www.rspb.org.uk/our-work/policy-insight/england-westminster/Nature-and-climate-emergency/
I have been waiting nearly 30 years to see our new houses built with integral solar panels....dream on