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CCC recommendations largely ignored by government


In the first full study of the long- term impact of the Climate Change Committee (CCC), it is clear that very few of its major policy recommendations have been implemented. A systematic content analysis of government responses to the CCC’s 700 annual report policy recommendations, made since the CCC’s formation in 2009, finds that just 23% have ever been accepted in any sense, of which only 2% were accepted in full and duly implemented. The study, headed by Dr Harriet


Dudley of the University of East Anglia, appears in the May issue of Climate Policy magazine. It also reveals that the characteristics of individual


recommendations have a notable impact upon the type of government response (i.e. accepted, rejected or non-committal). Nearly half (47%) of the CCC’s mitigation recommendations were rejected outright by the UK government, and a further third (31%) received a non- committal response. Only 22% were partially accepted by the government, and only 1% were accepted in full. Non-committal responses were the


regular reaction to any recommendations for improving the buildings sector, long concentrated upon by the CCC. Such policy recommendations were two times more likely to receive a non-committal response than recommendations focused on other sectors. It is noticeable that the CCC this year seems to have ignored making further recommendations regarding energy efficiency in buildings (see EiBI April 2025). In contrast, CCC’s statistical advice


on setting five-year carbon budgets has generally been accepted by successive governments. The researchers conclude that “there has been more difficulty getting broader policy recommendations accepted”, not least because the CCC’s recommendations in its annual progress reports “do not carry any statutory weight and the government’s only obligation is to respond”.


BBC wary of taking sides on heat pump debate


Heat pumps are too publicly controversial for a star BBC presenter to be seen to be promoting. BBC bosses have told Evan Davis, host of Radio 4’s PM programme, that his involvement hosting The Happy Heat Pump Podcast “risks exposing him to accusations of political bias”. Launched in 2024, Davis has presented 20


podcast episodes, covering issues around installing the technology, the cost, noise levels and the alternatives for people replacing their gas boilers. Explaining the BBC decision, Davis said: “As the series has gone on – in fact as the world has progressed over the last few months – they have become concerned that anything like this trying to inform people about heat pumps can be interpreted, rightly or wrongly, as somehow treading on areas of public controversy. “I take their shilling, they dictate the rules. They have


to try and keep their presenters out of areas of public controversy, and they have decided heat pumps can be controversial, so they’ve asked me not to be involved.” The widespread installation of heat pumps is seen as


necessary to achieve the government’s target of hitting net zero carbon emissions in 2050. Last month, the


NEWS UPDATE In Brief


● EET Hydrogen has signed over 30 customer agreements to supply low carbon hydrogen across industrial, power and transport sectors in the North West with locally produced, low- carbon hydrogen. With 10 new Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) agreements signed in recent months, the continued demand signals a major boost for the region’s low-carbon economy.


● Energy developer Balance Power has received planning approval for a 49.5MW battery storage project in Hinksford, South Staffordshire. This project will play a critical role in stabilising the grid and helping to power approximately 26,800 homes, by storing renewable energy during peak generation and supplying it back to the grid when demand is high.


Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch dropped her party’s support for the target. Davis said he believed the decision to stop him appearing on the podcast had been taken because of the overt link between heat pumps and the net zero target. The Reform Party, which took 10 English county councils


in the recent local elections, doubts the effectiveness of heat pumps. Although these councils have no housing responsibilities, leader Nigel Farage has threatened that all climate change related policies will be abandoned by these authorities, which is likely to frighten BBC bosses even more.


LGA calls for mandatory solar panels on all new homes


Government plans to make rooftop solar panels a legal requirement for all newly built homes have been backed by a new report from the Local Government Association (LGA) that estimates that such a measure could save households in England an average of £440 per year and significantly cut carbon emissions. Currently, just 40% of new homes


are constructed with solar panels. The LGA’s report, ‘Empowering local climate action: advice to government’, argues that mandating solar installation would contribute to national climate goals while lowering energy bills for residents. The recommendation is part of a


broader set of proposals aimed at strengthening the role of local councils


EIBI | MAY 2025


in delivering the UK’s net zero targets. The LGA, which represents councils across England and Wales, says that while local authorities are essential to decarbonising housing, expanding clean power and restoring nature, they lack the funding and legislative tools necessary


to act effectively. The report outlines four national priorities – decarbonising housing, reforming the energy system, expanding clean power and protecting nature – and calls for policy changes to support local delivery. Key proposals include a new Warm Homes Plan to retrofit five million existing homes, a national-local energy partnership, and increased powers for councils to lead biodiversity restoration. Among the cross-cutting measures


proposed are the creation of a Green Finance Delivery Support Unit, new legislation to allow councils to set energy standards and a national green skills strategy to support workforce development.


● Renewable technology provider Shawton Energy has been appointed to a Co-op framework to support the rollout of rooftop solar installations across the retail giant’s UK estate. Shawton Energy will design, develop, fund and manage rooftop solar PV systems at key Co-op locations through its Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) model.


● Aggreko has strengthened its energy solutions offering in Europe with the formation of a team dedicated to developing large scale renewable energy projects, working with landowners and industry to increase the amount of clean energy produced in Europe. The team will be led by Jon Crouch, commercial director of IPP Solutions.


● A new website has been launched by Good Eco Group, reflecting its evolution to a full-scale provider of energy-efficient solutions. The site features a Commercial Solar Calculator, enabling businesses to estimate energy and cost savings easily, while offering insights into the latest sustainable energy solutions.


● Vattenfall IDNO have signed a contract with Serconnect Ltd to provide a new grid connection for a Helios Power Ai Solutions project in Huddersfield. The project will deliver an 11 kV point of connection for a 177KW solar installation at Manor House Farm, connecting to a point of supply at 400 Volts.


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Image credit: Chatham House


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