Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho Defends UK's Climate Record Amid Criticism from Climate Watchdog

Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho defended the UK government's environmental record amid criticism from Chris Stark, the outgoing head of the Climate Change Committee, who accused Rishi Sunak of setting back progress on climate change.

Coutinho maintained that the government had a strong track record of delivering on climate targets but emphasized the importance of not burdening families with excessive costs in the pursuit of net zero emissions by 2050.

The UK is legally bound to achieving net zero emissions by this date.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced last year that the government would delay a ban on new petrol and diesel cars and weaken targets on phasing out gas boilers.

Labour, the opposition party, had earlier committed to increasing spending on environmental projects but later rowed back on that commitment.

The Climate Change Committee, which provides independent advice to ministers on climate targets, expressed concern over the government's less ambitious stance.

The committee's outgoing chair, Lord Deben, told the BBC that the diplomatic impact of Sunak's announcement had been "immense," and the overall message was that the UK is now less ambitious in its climate goals.

Ms. Coutinho defended her comments about the UK's progress in reducing emissions since 1990, making it the first major economy to cut emissions in half.

Since taking office in 2023, she implemented tax changes to encourage investment in the energy sector.

However, she emphasized a "sensible and pragmatic" approach to achieving net zero emissions, and expressed concern about adding costs for families while other countries continue to pollute more.