February 26, 2025

expert reaction to the Climate Change Committee’s Seventh Carbon Budget

Scientists comment on the Seventh Carbon Budget, published by the Climate Change Committee. 

Prof John Barrett, Professor in Energy and Climate Policy and Director of the Climate Evidence Unit at the University of Leeds, said:

“This is a very welcome report with a robust analysis that lets the Government, industry and citizens know that the pathway to net zero is possible and very much needed. However, it does place enormous responsibility on some key technologies and their rapid roll out to achieve these goals. As the UK Government digests the findings, we would suggest greater consideration of the “social” transformation that examines how we travel and what we buy.”

“While the report acknowledges some upfront costs, it confirms that acting now will reduce expenses in the long run, with cost savings emerging by the late 2030s and beyond.”

“The key takeaway from today’s report is clear: the transition to net zero is not only possible but highly beneficial. Independent academic analyses consistently supports this conclusion, showing that it will strengthen the economy, deliver widespread co-benefits, and position the UK as a leader in global climate action.”

Dr Sean Beevers, Reader in Atmospheric Modelling, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, said:

“A National Institute for Health and Care Research project examined the effects of net zero policies on air quality, active travel, health, and associated economic benefits in the UK.

“Our cost benefit analysis showed that net zero transport and building policies deliver substantial co-benefits, including improved indoor and outdoor air quality, better health, increase active travel, lessening inequalities and with long-term economic gains. We estimated an overall monetised air quality and active travel benefit of £46.4 billion by 2060 and £153 billion by 2154.

 “Net zero policy analyses should include benefits from the air pollution reductions and physical activity increases. These benefits apply to current and future generations and failure to act will lead to worse health outcomes and higher costs for attaining net zero.”

Dr Edward Gryspeerdt, Research Fellow at the Department of Physics, Imperial College London, said:

“The CCC’s advice highlights that aviation will become the highest emitting sector in the UK by 2040. Clean alternatives, such as low-carbon fuel and technology for low emission flights are currently limited and a range of measures will be needed to meet net-zero – there is no silver bullet.

“The government has described ‘sustainable aviation fuels’ as a ‘game changer.’ However, to have a significant impact on the climate impact of flying, they will need to be produced at a huge scale. It is not yet clear how this will be achieved. To reach net zero, the CCC also note that a switch from flying to other modes of transport will be required, especially for flights with an easy rail alternative. 

“These measures alone won’t solve the problem. The CCC’s report highlights that a significant amount of carbon capture will be needed, highlighting the simple fact that the technological solutions to eliminate the climate impact of flying don’t yet exist. Any expansion of the UK’s aviation infrastructure will have to be coupled with improved sustainable transport options.”

Dr Caterina Brandmayr, Director of Policy and Translation at the Grantham Institute – Climate Change and the Environment, Imperial College London, said:

“Today’s advice marks an important milestone in charting the UK’s path to net zero. Public opinion surveys continue to show that climate change remains a key issue of concern for a large majority of people in the UK.

 “To put us firmly on track to deliver the deep emission cuts needed from 2038 to 2042, the UK government needs to strengthen its action in the near term, giving confidence to businesses and households to invest in clean alternatives in sectors like housing, transport and energy. 

“There is strong public support for the benefits that emission reduction interventions can bring, such as warmer homes, energy security and cleaner air. 

“Effectively communicating these benefits, while ensuring fairness and choice in policy design, will be key to sustaining public support for the transition and driving change in harder to decarbonise sectors, such as aviation and land use.”

Dr Friederike Otto, Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Environmental Policy and co-lead of World Weather Attribution, Imperial College London, said

“People shouldn’t forget why we need these targets – we’re already feeling the pain at 1.3°C of warming and things will keep getting worse until emissions are reduced to net zero. 

“Here in the UK, we’ll experience even wetter winters that could wipe out crops, threaten our food security and turn sports pitches into miserable bogs. In summer, more frequent heatwaves will contribute to thousands of premature deaths, could put additional strain on the NHS, and reduce economic productivity. Overseas, extreme weather could disrupt supply chains we depend on and could contribute to worsening political instability and conflict. 

“Arguments that climate action is too costly are dangerous, short-sighted and disproportionately harm poorer people. If governments don’t cut emissions, both now and in the future, our children will live in an increasingly hostile climate and even more inequal society. 

“The UK needs to push ahead and lead the way in emission reductions for a safer, healthier future.”

Prof Lorraine Whitmarsh, Director at the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST) at the University of Bath, said:

“The government’s climate advisors make clear that tackling climate change requires significant action from all sections of society in the coming years. A third of emission reductions will come from household behaviour change alone. Low-carbon choices include switching to electric vehicles and heat pumps, eating more plant-based foods, and shifting to cleaner forms of transport. Many of these changes offer wider benefits, like improved health and lower bills. The report also highlights the need for government to reduce the barriers for the public to make these changes and to engage the public more actively in the net zero transition. The citizens panel that fed into these recommendations highlight that measures need to be fair and reduce the cost of low-carbon options.”

Dr Christina Demski, Deputy Director at the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST) at the University of Bath, said:

“The latest CCC progress report makes it clear that decisive action is needed now to ensure we meet the net zero target, and that action to reduce emissions also has other benefits like economic security, better health and reducing fuel poverty. While the UK is on track to reduce emissions substantially from energy supply, the report clearly shows that action is also needed in sectors like transport, buildings and agriculture, and that this requires widespread uptake of essential low-carbon technologies like EVs and heat pumps.

“We have long called for a comprehensive engagement strategy, so it is great to see this included as one of the key recommendations, especially the recommendation to go beyond one-way communication strategies.”

Dr Sam Hampton, Research Fellow at the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST) at the University of Bath, said:

“The Climate Change Committee’s 7th Carbon Budget provides a comprehensive account of the changes required across UK society to address the increasingly alarming impacts of climate change. As we have largely exhausted the low-hanging fruit of decarbonising our electricity supply, the focus in the 2030s and 2040s must shift towards demand-side changes. This includes changes in how we eat and travel, as well as the technologies we adopt. The report highlights key solutions including the adoption of electric vehicles and heat pumps, as well as the need for innovation to rid fossil fuels from industry. Another important takeaway is that Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is not a viable solution to decarbonising air travel. This comes just weeks after government expressed its support for airport expansion, and highlights the need for more radical solutions to limit flying, especially amongst the rich.”

The Climate Change Committee’s Seventh Carbon Budget was published at 00:01 UK Time Wednesday 26 February 2025. 

Declared interests

Prof John Barrett: Deputy Director for Policy, Priestly Centre for Climate Futures, University of Leeds, Theme Leader for the UKRI Energy Research Demand Centre

For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.