Boris Johnson is taking personal charge of a heavyweight new cabinet committee that will oversee efforts to tackle climate change across government.
No 10 Downing Street announced this morning that the prime minister will chair the committee, which will bring together all ministers responsible for domestic and international climate change policy.
It said that the committee, which it described as the first of its kind, would provide a forum for holding departments to account for their actions to combat climate change and co-ordinate efforts to cut emissions and improve air quality.
The committee will also oversee the UK’s preparations to host the UN’s major climate summit COP26, which is taking place in Glasgow in November next year.
The committee will include the foreign secretary Dominic Raab, chancellor of the exchequer Sajid Javid, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove, business and energy secretary Andrea Leadsom, environment secretary Theresa Villiers, transport secretary Grant Shapps and the housing and communities secretary Robert Jenrick.
Johnson said: ”I want us to become the cleanest, greenest society on earth, and inspire countries around the world to follow our lead so that our children can breathe clean air and benefit from the wonderful flora and fauna of this earth. We know that people across the UK are passionate about protecting our planet, and we need to continue building on the excellent progress this government has made in tackling climate change and improving our environment.
“That’s why I’m announcing today that I will personally chair a new cross-government Committee on Climate Change (CCC), bringing together my ministers to galvanise action to tackle the great environmental challenges we face.”
In her response to the announcement, Leadsom said she was delighted by the committee’s establishment.
Welcoming the announcement, Amy MacConnachie, head of external affairs at the Renewable Energy Association (REA) said: “There are presently too many examples of policy being a blockage to the deployment of renewable energy and clean technologies across the UK. Solar and onshore wind deployment have stalled, a more flexible power sector is slow to emerge, and heat and transport policy are in limbo. Breaking down silos in government will unleash innovation and investment, getting us back on track to meet our carbon budget.”
She said the REA will be writing to request a joint meeting between No 10, the Cabinet Office and the BEIS (business, energy and industrial strategy ) department to discuss the committee and ensure that renewable energy and clean technology are central to the government’s plans to cut emissions.
In its response to the CCC’s latest progress report on the government’s emissions reduction plans, BEIS said that the government was potentially looking at establishing a cabinet committee to co-ordinate its climate change efforts.