Davey calls for 'Net Zero' department to slash UK greenhouse gas emissions

Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey has today called for a new governmental department to get the UK to Net Zero as soon as possible.

In comments today at the Institute for Government, Ed Davey said the new department would take on all the powers of the previous Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) but would have "much more teeth and responsibility", with influence over transport, housing and finance.

Speaking at the Institute for Government today, Ed Davey, Acting Leader of Liberal Democrats said:

"When Liberal Democrats ran the Department for Energy and Climate Change we managed to more than treble Britain's renewable power and led Europe to adopt tougher climate change targets. As the world is waking up to the threat of the climate emergency, DECC is needed more than ever.

"But rather than building on the work we did, the Conservatives abolished the Department. And alongside it they halted progress in its tracks, banning onshore wind, abolishing zero carbon homes and privatising the Green Investment Bank.

"If Britain is to regain a leading role ahead of hosting this year's UN conference on climate change, we must make action on climate change a much higher priority. Liberal Democrats are calling for a new government Department - a Department for Net Zero. It would have the power and responsibility to transform our country and to take tough but necessary decisions on transport, housing and finance.

"If the Tories fail to do that, they are simply not serious about tackling the climate emergency."