Following the King's speech, Helen Clarkson, CEO of Climate Group, said:
"With climate impacts worsening, it's a relief to hear a King's speech that recognises the global climate challenge and the new job opportunities that can come with tackling it. This Government's plans with the energy market, the ban on the exploration of new oil fields, and the lifting of the ban on onshore wind - these are all important steps.
But there's no sugarcoating the scale of the challenge. Alongside today's measures, we need to see a clear action plan for reaching net zero fairly and equitably and a rethinking of energy, food, and transport systems to meet the needs of a changing world. We need innovation on battery storage, we need better and more charging infrastructure for electric cars and trucks, we need targets and standards for low carbon steel and concrete, and above all: we need a grid that can cope with the huge increase in electricity needs that we are facing.
The UK can be a climate leader once again and prosper through sustainable growth. Today's announcements are a welcome step, but we also need to demonstrate our commitment to the rest of the world with a more ambitious NDC, backed by a national action plan on climate.".
