NEW ANALYSIS: UK emissions fell 2.4% in 2025 as coal fell to a 400-year low. Incredibly, we used less coal last year than than in 1600, when Queen Elizabeth I was on the throne and Shakespeare was writing Hamlet.
All the details in our article: www.carbonbrief.org/...
• 25 February: Scotland's progress in reducing emissions - our annual review of the Scottish Government's progress and assessment of the policies in place for future delivery. • 20 May: Well-Adapted UK - a new report, five years in the making, setting out what risks the country faces, and what it can do about them. This is part of the CCC's independent assessment for the Fourth Climate Change Risk Assessment. • 24 June: UK's progress in reducing emissions - our annual report to Parliament monitoring the UK Government’s progress and current policies.
Some dates for your diary - our next statutory publications 📅
A huge amount of analysis has gone into these and we look forward to sharing them with you soon.
We’ve just secured the largest amount of offshore wind in any auction ever in Britain - enough to power the equivalent of 12 million homes.
In Scotland 🏴 the first offshore wind project in three years has been successful - a landmark moment demonstrating our commitment to the whole of the UK.
NEW: Coal-fired power generation fell in both China and India in 2025, for the first time since 1973. The drop came after record clean energy additions in both countries, and was the first time that clean energy was a major driver of falling coal power use.
Congratulations to Professor Piers Forster who has been reappointed to the Committee.
Professor Corinne Le Quere’s term as a member of the Committee has also been extended by up to six months.
www.theccc.org.uk/2025/11/28/p...
Happy 17th birthday to the Climate Change Act!
Delighted that our Independent Review of Greenhouse Gas Removals has now been published. It was chaired by Dr. Alan Whitehead and staffed by a small, dedicated, secretariat, all of whom deserve great credit for achieving so much in a short period of time.
@ember-energy.org have a good European wholesale price dataset: ember-energy.org/data/europea...
CCC chief Emma Pinchbeck
Says 60% of UK emissions reduction to 2040 depends on electrification
"The good news is we also said…that system is the cheapest for the UK & insulates UK economy from future fossil fuel price volatility. In other words, it's also good for national security."
China's power generation from coal&gas fell 2% on year in March, as growth in solar, wind and nuclear power generation more than covered all demand growth. Increase in hydropower generation, which is more related to seasonal variation, came on top and helped push fossils down.
Five years ago today, most historical UK monthly rainfall observations were not available to scientists.
But the 66,000 pieces of paper containing the data had been scanned.
With covid lockdown approaching we saw an opportunity to transcribe the data.
#RainfallRescue began... 🧵
Terrific chart in this terrific piece by @pilitaclark.bsky.social:
Monday evening bump for this energy analyst role at @thecccuk.bsky.social - just under a week until applications close (Sunday 23 March)
I’ve never dared!
My Grandfather's RAF squadron had their own cocktail, the ingredients for 3.5 gallons (!) of which were:
36 measures Pimms No.1
18 measures Gin
18 measures Cointreau
9 measures Benedictine
5 measures Cherry Brandy
8 bottles Champagne
According to my Grandmother: "Designed to obliterate!"
More details and apply at:
www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/index.cg...
We're recruiting!
I have a high-profile role in my team for an Energy Analyst at @thecccuk.bsky.social, to lead the CCC's work on fuel supply (inc. hydrogen, oil & gas, biomass, aviation & shipping fuels) and contribute across the wider energy team including power.
£45k-49k
The recommended Seventh Carbon Budget pathway
We have published our advice on the Seventh Carbon Budget. It is in line with previous Government commitments – the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Carbon Budgets, international commitments, and the Net Zero commitment in 2050.
A funny thing happened between 2020 and 2025. The UK's cost to reach net zero fell by 75%. The net cost is a mere 0.2% of GDP or about £4 billion per year, after accounting for the savings from energy efficiency and falling fossil fuel consumption.
Free to read: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
NEW: Official advisers CCC say UK shld cut emissions 87% by 2040
⚖️Net cost of net-zero 73% less than thought
💷Total cost to 2050 = £108bn (~£4bn/yr, 0.2% GDP)
🏡🚗H’hold energy/fuel bills to fall £1,400
🔌Electrification is key
THREAD + charts
www.carbonbrief.org/...
1/10
The Climate Change Committee’s analysis clearly shows that reducing emissions will lead to more affordable and secure energy. - Dhara Vyas, Energy UK CEO
Energy UK has welcomed the publication of @thecccuk.bsky.social's Seventh Carbon Budget Advice for the UK Government.
Read our response in full 👉https://www.energy-uk.org.uk/news/energy-uk-responds-to-the-cccs-seventh-carbon-budget-advice
The UK’s Seventh Carbon Budget level should be set at 535 MtCO2e, an 87% reduction against 1990 levels.
This country has a prosperous and secure future ahead.
The fossil fuel age is over – it’s time to electrify the United Kingdom.
www.theccc.org.uk/2025/02/26/e...
Big day for UK climate wonks tomorrow: the 7th Carbon Budget document is out.
They only come around every five years, and these reports are pretty much the holy grail of what the UK has to do to get to net zero.
On Wednesday, the Climate Change Committee publish a document far more important than any Budget or industrial strategy. The Seventh Carbon Budget sets the terms of trade for the British economy - because once adopted, it will dictate how much carbon we can produce. (1/?)
"The main reason why electricity prices are currently high is because the cost of gas - which is what sets the electricity price - is also high," said a spokesperson from the Climate Change Committee, the government's independent adviser on cutting emissions
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
"There isn't a tension with the growth mission. Far from it."
@chrisstark.bsky.social tells us why he doesn't think the government's plans to decarbonise the power system by 2030 will conflict with its plans for growth.
📺 Watch the full event www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/govern...
This is a very strong argument in favour of climate action from @elpinchbeck.bsky.social that you don’t hear often enough. It is both conservative and progressive.
www.thetimes.com/article/b729...
Gave evidence to the Scottish HoC Select Committee yesterday morning with CCC’s great power sector lead Owen Bellamy, plus reps from the Just Transition Commission (panel 1). Fraser is right - was an interesting discussion about where energy & climate policy meet industrial & social policy.
Clean Power 2030 Action Plan https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/675bfaa4cfbf84c3b2bcf986/clean-power-2030-action-plan.pdf
Our brand new Clean Power 2030 Action Plan is published today.
We’ve produced this at lightning pace - it’s packed with new steps towards clean power. We’re moving quickly and making big decisions to open the path to 2030.
www.gov.uk/government/p...
The results from BloombergNEF's 2024 lithium-ion battery price survey are out. Lithium-ion battery pack prices dropped 20% from 2023 to a record low of $115 per kilowatt-hour. This is the largest decline observed in our survey since 2017. 🧵⬇️
