Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Independent Commission on Climate

Opened the debate

The MP highlighted the significant impact of climate change, emphasising the need for immediate action. He praised the work done by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Independent Commission on Climate under Baroness Brown's leadership, which published a report with recommendations covering transport, buildings, energy, peat, waste, water, business, and industry themes. The MP pointed out that emissions in his area are 25% higher per person than the UK average, underscoring the urgency of addressing this issue. He also mentioned local initiatives such as retrofitting housing for energy efficiency, installing heat pumps and solar panels at swimming pools, and requiring new taxis to be low emission vehicles. The MP urged the Government to provide better funding for greening public transport systems and supporting retrofitting efforts, and emphasised that local authorities need more control over incentive schemes tailored to their specific characteristics.

Government Response

The Minister acknowledged the significant work done by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Independent Commission on Climate Change, emphasising the importance of local areas in driving progress towards national climate change commitments. She noted that over £1.2 billion in grant funding is available to local authorities this financial year for acting on climate change, a sixteenfold increase from the previous year. The Minister also highlighted the Local Energy Programme which provides direct support to local enterprise partnerships and communities. Additionally, she mentioned specific sectoral support measures such as improving energy efficiency standards in planning and construction through schemes like the local authority delivery phase 2 scheme. The heat and buildings strategy will outline further actions for reducing emissions from buildings. The Minister stressed that some excellent work is already underway to support local areas in reaching net zero, with plans detailed in the upcoming Net Zero Strategy. She reiterated the Government's commitment to supporting local areas in transitioning to a cleaner, greener future.