Weakening the UK's net zero policy would disrupt business and damage the economy, the UK's chief climate adviser has warned. Nigel Topping, chair of the Climate Change Committee (CCC), said U-turns damage investor confidence and disrupt businesses.
Renewable energy progress but heat pump lag
The CCC's latest report to parliament, published on Wednesday, found that the push towards renewable energy has gone well and more people are switching to electric cars, but the take-up of heat pumps has lagged severely. Topping pointed to a CBI report finding the net zero economy was worth about £100bn a year to the UK, growing faster than the rest of the economy and producing higher paid jobs.
“The U-turns are really damaging to inward investor confidence. If we really want to grow the economy, then investing and getting good at building stuff is essential,” Topping said. He emphasized that consistency is super important for industry in making investment decisions.
Political scrutiny and economic impact
In the wake of Keir Starmer's resignation, the stance of his likely successor, Andy Burnham, on green issues has come under renewed scrutiny. Burnham has previously supported offshore wind and renewable energy, but some advisers have contrasted his bid for “reindustrialisation” with the push for net zero, despite evidence that the two are complementary.
Topping made it clear that any attempt to water down the UK's push for a clean economy would deter businesses and investors, and add to the cost of living by increasing reliance on fossil fuels. “The power system decarbonisation is largely done,” he said. “All that work's been done, that's something we should celebrate as a country. It's not just an achievement, but something that's been achieved beyond politics.”
Heat pump challenges and savings
The report raised concerns over heat pump take-up: although they are at least three times more efficient than gas boilers, they carry a heavy upfront price tag. For consumers on some energy tariffs, they do not produce savings on bills because UK electricity is made more expensive than gas by the power market structure. Installations in existing homes went up just 7% this year compared with 56% the year before, the CCC said.
However, the report found heat pumps produce the greatest savings—about £1,200 a year on energy bills for urban dwellers, and £1,900 a year for rural homes dependent on oil heating—when used alongside solar panels and EVs. These changes are generally only within reach of better-off households. Some heat pumps can also double as air conditioners, interest in which has soared as the second record heatwave of the year has led to widespread disruption.
Calls for policy changes
Topping called on government to break the link between power prices and the cost of gas, which would reflect the true lower cost of electricity from renewable generation and make heat pumps more attractive. He also called for lower income households to be helped to decarbonise, and warned against disinformation misleading people on heat pump benefits.
Jess Ralston, head of energy at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said high fossil fuel prices were encouraging people to switch to cleaner options. “We're seeing a surge of interest from the British public in net zero technologies like solar panels, EVs and home batteries,” she said. “But even though interest is growing and numbers are on the up, the UK is currently a long way behind countries like Germany and France in switching to heat pumps.”
