Government failing to map route to net zero

New CPRE research has found that the vast majority of local councils do not have strategies in local plans to make sure they reach net zero carbon.

Approximately 85 per cent of councils in England have announced ambitious targets to reach net zero carbon – many for 2030 rather than the government’s 2050 target.

However, of the 24 local authority local plans adopted outside Greater London since the government’s legally binding 2050 target was set, only one – the Plymouth and South-West Devon Joint Plan – sets out a quantified strategy to reduce its area’s carbon output.

CPRE argues that, without clear strategies involving housing, businesses, industry and transport – which between them generate 62 per cent of our carbon emissions, it’s unlikely that councils can meet their climate targets, especially given most local plans are designed to last about 15 years.

Government planning inspectors, who are responsible for signing off on local plans, aren’t required to prioritise reaching net zero or demand that plans are clear on how they help councils get there. CPRE believes planning inspectors must give as much weight to environmental targets as they do housebuilding ones.

Crispin Truman, CRPE chief executive, said: “We’re not going to hit net zero by accident. We need to plan for it. Unfortunately, local authorities are hamstrung by national planning policy that is woefully behind the times on this issue. Local plans need to act like road maps plotting the path towards the sustainable future envisaged by the government’s climate change legislation. That they don’t come close to doing so is proof of the failure of current national planning policy.

“In terms of climate, we are planning to fail. It is impossible to hit net zero if it isn’t prioritised in local plans. Providing the attractive, affordable housing that people need and ensuring it is environmentally sustainable is not an either/or trade off. We need to do both at the same time and with the same commitment.”