Mike Thompson Profile picture
Jan 26, 2023 25 tweets 16 min read Read on X
Recently had my 798th and final week at @theCCCuk. We didn’t get everything right, but I’m sure we helped the UK’s climate journey over those 15 years.

🦣🧵 on the CCC and UK decarbonisation, a story in 3 parts: The Start, The Struggle, and Net Zero
Background
CCC is UK’s independent statutory climate adviser (1st of its kind in world)
Formal role to advise on emissions targets, adaptation plans, and progress v both
Informally, to help the politics and guide the narrative. Most think we did a decent job (quotes GRI_LSE)
Pre-CCC:
A long time ago, UK had a 2050 emissions target of -60% that only covered CO2. Wise folk @friends_earth (@bryworthington) made Big Ask for a climate bill. @lordstern1 & team wrote definitive review showing action better than inaction. @David_Cameron hugged a husky
By 2007, a Bill was in Parliament and shadow CCC was set up (I was ~10th employee, there was a start-up vibe, we joked how OLD we’d all be by 2020 😬). @DKennedyFFaB (1st CEO) set the vision and ensured an emphasis on evidence and engagement from the start.
2008: The actual Committee arrived, led by peerless @AdairTurnerUK. First CCC advice was to up 2050 target to 80% & all GHGs. Climate Change Act was passed by >400 to 5 MPs, with 80% GHG goal (the world’s first legally-binding emissions target).
Cross-party consensus to act.
Days after the Act, @theCCCuk put our first report out, rec’ing carbon budgets to 2022 based on UK capabilities, EU targets and unofficial international goal at time to limit warming to ~2C (and need to avoid 4C). Crucially, report centred need for low-carbon electricity system
2009: first CCC progress report kept electricity focus (also energy efficiency, electric cars) and sowed the seeds for market reform. Called for a step change in the rate of progress across the economy
By end 2009, Copenhagen COP15 hadn’t gone as planned 😟.
In 2010 @theCCCuk advised on UK’s 4th carbon budget – now based on desirable bottom-up actions consistent with global goal (kind of a UK NDC before NDCs were cool).
Now recommending tendering (auctioning) CfDs for power.
To help new 2010 coalition Govt resolve nuclear differences CCC were asked to review renewable energy. In 2011, recommended a portfolio approach (which became 2 auction pots for CfDs), with innovation support for offshore wind, removal of barriers and clearer commitment to 2030
2011: followed with bioenergy review (tldr: make sure it’s sustainable, appreciate it’s scarce & valuable, so prioritise its use carefully)
2012: Combo with earlier reviews on aviation, shipping, innovation allowed a refreshed 2050 picture emphasising ambition, action & options
That completed Part 1 for CCC (& Lord Turner’s reign).

Then Part 2:The Struggle, @lorddeben perfectly cast as Chair.
Mythbusting on energy bills & competitiveness, defending CB4. Green Crap won on efficiency, but £8bn (annually) kept for renewables.
Aside: People always say electricity was the easy bit – it didn’t feel like it at the time. Needed serious commitment from @hmtreasury at the height of austerity, lots of clever work from civil servants (@SimonVirley @timbolord et al) and huge industry push

(probs still true)
2015: CCC advice on 5th Carbon Budget fleshed out detailed path to 2030.

Rapidly overtaken by COP21 Paris Agreement, 1.5C and Net Zero. Clear that UK would need a Net Zero goal soon, but Overton window wasn’t open yet: UK needed to get serious on current targets first.
Govt plans for CB5 were painfully slow coming out, but made an important shift in the politics to ‘Clean Growth’ (h/t @GuyNewey @NickHurdUK @ClaireClimate). Essence captured in this @owenbellamy chart
Meanwhile, @IPCC_CH were digging into 1.5C and Net Zero, climate change images were hitting the news, #SchoolStrikeforClimate @ExtinctionR were coming, and lawsuits were popping up.
CCC asked Govt to ask us the Net Zero question, and @GregClarkMP @ClaireClimate did
That set the scene for CCC Part 3 on Net Zero under @ChiefExecCCC:
🎯 Net Zero (2019) established the goal
📉 Sixth Carbon Budget, CB6 (2020) set the path
🗺️ Progress Report (2022) set the delivery framework
Net Zero is ubiquitous now, but a leap at the time. Amazing to see uptake since across the world

Lots of work to establish not just that it was necessary (thx @IPCC_CH @Grantham_IC) but also feasible, credible & cost-effective for UK (thx to massive shift across @theCCCuk team)
Net Zero needed foundation of #FifthCarbonBudget #CleanGrowthStrategy, cheap plentiful offshore wind & improving EVs.
And needed better evidence on hydrogen, bioenergy, land use (3⃣ 2018 CCC reports), industry decarb (#MissionPossible), removals (@royalsociety) & the rest
Reminder: UK target is all GHGs (not just CO2) and all sectors (inc ✈️🚢), so ahead of what needed for world as a whole for 1.5C. Helped that others (🇸🇪🇫🇷🇳🇿🇪🇺, Cali) were moving.

Still, if can go further, we should!
Other vital bits:
🪟 Political space thx @ExtinctionR #Greta
🧠 Expert advisers: Pete Betts @BerniceWLee Paul Ekins @RainNewtonSmith @watsonjim2 (+many more)
📢 Brilliant champions: @ChiefExecCCC @lordDeben (+many outside CCC)
😂💪 Bold politicians: @ClaireClimate @theresa_may
2020: CB6. Building directly on NZ work, @theCCCuk built the path to get there. All dials to 11, but focused on realism from where we were, real-world constraints and policy limits. As much focus on how to get there as the targets themselves. 1,000 pages of delight
There’s a wealth of great resources from CCC on CB6: webinars on most angles; expert papers on policy, finance, health; sector deep dives; advice for business & LAs; and – yes – lots of data and spreadsheets theccc.org.uk/publication/si…
2021: Net Zero Strategy. Government response broadly endorsed CCC pathways – similar ambitions by sector and by technology. No big surprise, as @lorddeben likes to say: there’s not a lot of elbow room
[Also #COP26 ofc - no doubt it focused minds in UK]
PR2022. Last big CCC piece in the Net Zero puzzle – a set of maps breaking down what needs to happen in every area of emissions to go from where we are to Net Zero. Lots of policy still needed, lots of actions for businesses and households.
Poss most imp bit #AllAboutAction
So much to be proud of in there, as world shifted off 4C traj towards 1.5-2C. Obvs not there yet and goes waaaay beyond CCC, but I hope we played our part 🤗

Looking fwd to watching CCC from outside. Am sure it will keep being a (inter)national institutional treasure

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
 

Keep Current with Mike Thompson

Mike Thompson Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @Mike_Thommo

Jan 27, 2023
Amongst all that, #COP26 also saw launch of the International Climate Councils Network (climatecouncilsnetwork.org). Obvs it’s global action that matters in the end & in many ways climate is ultimately a political economy problem.
No doubt that strong overarching climate laws and effective climate advisers are a key piece of architecture for delivering on the Paris Agreement, just ask @IPCC_CH
Talking with sibling councils and policymakers across the world has been a constant highlight. Particularly enjoyed my 2 months in 2019 working with and learning from the fab and lovely team @ClimateCommNZ 🇳🇿 helping get the NZ NZ framework going
Read 4 tweets
Oct 26, 2021
@theCCCuk have published our verdict on last week’s Net Zero Strategy. Overall, we like it
✅ Ambition matches targets
✅ Sector splits and technology deployment laid out
✅ Credible delivery policies proposed
✅ Cross-cutting policies moved forward
✅ Quick timelines proposed
🧵
That’s a big step forward, but – you guessed it – not the end. Now we need to move quickly onto implementation of those plans.
The Strategy gives a much better platform for that – now we know the Govt plans it’s easier for us at @theCCCuk to hold their feet to the fire 🦶🔥
Ambition: Meets the carbon budgets. Latest GDP forecasts make the job a little easier, but Govt have been cautious on lasting COVID behavioural effects and on Global Warming Potentials. That’s a straight bat on the technicalities.
Read 15 tweets
Jul 14, 2021
Another important step forward today for #netzero policy, with the Transport ‘greenprint’, including aviation consultation. We’ve been waiting at @theCCCuk…glad that it’s now out. A🧵

Publication below, and a neat video tying it together with where we are and the bigger picture
Transport is the UK’s biggest source of emissions and aviation is one of the toughest to decarb. Both contributed to the ambition and policy gaps @theCCCuk identified in our progress report last month. Great to have ambitions and policies clarified.
UK already had commitment to phase out sales of petrol/diesel cars/vans by 2030-35. Now a proposal for trucks 2035-2040. That means Govt can point to “the end of sale of all new, non-zero emission road vehicles by 2040 at the latest”. Impressive, and aligned to @theCCCuk.
Read 12 tweets
Jun 24, 2021
Every good report has a sporting parallel, today @theCCCuk are channelling the Olympics 🥇: UK must go higher, faster, stronger in pursuit of Net Zero:
-Ambitions need to be higher
-Implementation needs to be faster
-Policies need to be stronger
🧵
There have been some BIG climate commitments in the last year. Those are very welcome, but we’ve also seen a tendency for ambition to be rather less than needed. Will need strengthening if the Net Zero Strategy is to do its job. Clock is ticking before COP26
We’ve also seen a flurry of strategies – lots of good stuff in the Ten Point Plan, the Energy White Paper, the Industry Decarb Plan, Trees – but other biggies have been delayed – the HMT costs review, the Heat & Bldgs Strategy, the Transport Plan. All depts need to move faster
Read 11 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us!

:(