Carbon Budget Delivery Plan

Roz Savage Excerpts

Wednesday 12th November 2025 Westminster Hall

[Dr Roz Savage (South Cotswolds) (LD)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir John. I thank the hon. Member for Sheffield Central (Abtisam Mohamed) for securing this debate. I welcome the publication of this plan; on paper, it marks an important step in bringing our climate ambitions into alignment with our responsibilities to nature and to people. I particularly welcome the recognition that the climate and nature crises are inseparable. The introduction of an annual climate and nature statement to Parliament is a significant development, and I am proud that it grew from the Climate and Nature Bill, which I introduced earlier this year.

First, we must ensure that this plan truly treats climate and nature as partners, not as parallel workstreams. The commitments to restore peatland, create woodland, clean up air and water and reduce flood risk are essential, yet the scaling back of targets for tree planting and peat restoration is concerning. Ambition of language is not yet matched by ambition of action. We must move beyond a narrow focus on trees towards a whole-ecosystem approach, valuing soils, wetlands, hedgerows and biodiversity as carbon sinks and habitats. I am concerned by the heavy reliance on carbon capture and storage and sustainable aviation fuels. Speculation on technology that is still in development risks delaying real emissions reductions and offshoring ecological harm. We cannot afford to chase technical fixes at the expense of nature, when nature itself can be our greatest ally in the fight against climate change.

Secondly, the green transition must be fair and rooted in our local communities. The green economy can deliver cheaper bills, warmer homes and thousands of good jobs, but this will work only if we support the people who are already trying to drive change. Our farmers, local councils, schools and families want to be part of this transition, but they must be incentivised, not penalised. At the moment, farming emissions remain high, while clarity for farmers remains low. I know that my farmers in the South Cotswolds want to be part of a fair transition, but they need clarity on where the goalposts stand. There is no coherent strategy to boost domestic horticulture and arable production or to ensure that family farms are not squeezed out by intensification. A thriving green economy cannot come at the cost of hollowing out our countryside.

Community energy is another clear opportunity. Demand for community-run renewables far exceeds the support currently offered. Unlocking the right for community groups to sell energy directly to local people would be transformative and enable communities to truly participate in their own energy transition. I am troubled that huge ground-mounted solar projects, such as the one planned for my constituency, risk alienating the public, rather than including them. We need a just and fair energy transition that is as resilient to adverse conditions in the geophysical climate as potential future political climates. When this transition is deeply rooted in communities, it cannot be uprooted by a net zero-sceptic Government in the future. I welcome this plan, but we must ensure that it truly delivers from the ground up, not the top down. Let us empower farmers, communities, councils and schools to lead the way. Let us build a resilient, vibrant and nature-rich future that truly works for everyone. As Christiana Figueres has said:

“Doing our best is no longer enough. We must all now do what is necessary.”