ICE comment on the Climate Change Committee's seventh carbon budget report

In response to the Climate Change Committee's seventh carbon budget report, the Institution of Civil Engineers director of policy and external affairs, Sam Gould, said:

"Today, the Climate Change Committee has published how it believes the UK government can meet its seventh carbon budget. There is a good news story here; the advice from the CCC echoes what the ICE and many voices in the infrastructure sector have been saying - growth and reaching net zero is not an either/or choice. They're two sides of the same coin.

"Decarbonisation is the end goal, but along the way there's an opportunity to create jobs and establish new markets. There are also bonus benefits like cleaner air and improved biodiversity. The CCC makes several clear recommendations to government about what it needs to do to deliver the next carbon budget, and its recommendations tally with what the ICE has recently published on how the government can attract private finance to improve the UK's water, energy, and transport systems.

"The private sector has delivered rapid transition before, and it can do so again. If the government creates a stable policy environment and provides certainty for industry and investors, there is no reason why this carbon budget and the UK's wider environmental objectives can't be met, while sparking economic growth as well."

Notes to editors

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