Policy Insight

The Climate Change Committee, responding to the government’s inclusion of ‘climate compatible checkpoints’ for new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea as part of its recent Net Zero Strategy, concluded that:

“The best way of reducing the UK’s future exposure to these volatile prices is to cut fossil fuel consumption on the path to Net Zero – improving energy efficiency, shifting to a renewables-based power system and electrifying end uses in transport, industry and heating. Any increases in UK extraction of oil and gas would have, at most, a marginal effect on the prices faced by UK consumers in future”

Ahead of hosting the UN climate change conference (COP26) the UK government has released a length net zero strategy, which includes new oil and gas licensing in the North Sea, so long as they pass a ‘climate compatible’ check point.

Outlining the arguments in favour of clean air zones, this Green Alliance report notes that they are now found in over 250 cities across Europe, and that there is “comprehensive research demonstrating they work” to reduce car use and pollution, once in place.

A major review of the nation’s food strategy and culture highlights the need for dramatic change in how the UK produces and consumes food to improve public health, protect the NHS and ensure resilience to shocks, such as climate change. 

The review, which looks at the entire food chain ‘from field to fork’, recommends a 30% reduction in meat consumption by 2032, along with a range of measures to reduce diet inequalities and move away from ‘junk food’ culture.

The review notes that voluntary measures will not be enough. It recommends that all food companies with more than 250 employees – including retailers, restaurants, fast food joints, contract caterers, wholesalers, manufacturers and online ordering platforms – should publish an annual report on a range of measures, including food waste and sales of protein by type (meat, dairy, fish, plant, or alternative protein).

The review also acknowledges that the spaces in which consumers buy and eat food can have a strong influence on people’s dietary choices:

“Supermarkets and the hospitality sector are extremely adept at nudging consumers towards certain products and behaviours. They can do this by changing their layouts and menus, using discounts and promotions, reformulating their own products, changing their packaging and labelling, and using their enormous purchasing power selectively.”

This aligns with what we already know about people’s dietary habits being far from simple individual choices. What we eat is affected by a wide range of structural factors – these include biological, medical, developmental, psychological, economic and social factors, as well as the influence of media, infrastructure and the food environment. The Government’s Obesity System Map is a great visualisation of these many interlinking variables.

The Environment Agency report how low income households are particularly vulnerable to flood risks, and may struggle with impacts:

“Worryingly, low income households are eight times more likely to live in tidal floodplains than more affluent households, but 61% of low-income renters do not have home contents insurance, meaning they’re more susceptible to a financial shock as a result. According to data from insurance company Aviva, most low-income renters would struggle to meet typical insurable losses with nearly three quarters (73%) unable to meet an unexpected bill of £500 without help.”

This concerning analysis also highlights the risk of substantial, long-term impacts to people’s mental health due to flooding:

“Experiencing damage caused by extreme weather such as storms or flooding can increase the chance of facing mental health problems such as stress and depression by 50% while a quarter of people who have been flooded still live with these issues at least two years after the event.”