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Politics Home Article | Net-zero is not optional
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Climate change is accelerating and delay is no longer defensible. Baroness Sheehan, Chair of the Environment and Climate Change Committee, argues that 2026 must deliver decisive, evidence-based action to protect carbon sinks, cut emissions and restore the UK’s climate leadership
This article was commissioned by the Total Politics Impact team for the Legislative Lookahead 2026.
The government must explicitly reject the myth that net-zero is optional and demonstrate, at the highest level, that delay is indefensible. Climate change is undeniable, with impacts unfolding in real time. While mitigation and adaptation measures are underway, they lag behind the scale of the crisis.
Global emissions continue to rise, and atmospheric CO2 reached around 426 ppm in 2025 – about 52 per cent above pre‑industrial levels. The science is clear: to halt climate change, we must stop burning fossil fuels and protect natural carbon sinks such as forests and wetlands. There is also growing evidence that disruption to several of the planet’s natural cycles is approaching tipping point, making urgent action to sustain these systems essential.
Government leadership is required to drive evidence‑based legislative change rather than pander to denial or delay. In 2024, the National Wealth Fund repurposed the UK Infrastructure Bank to mobilise private capital for clean energy, industrial upgrades and regional growth, and 2025’s Great British Energy Act established a public energy champion to accelerate net‑zero progress. Yet 2026 must deliver far more: a long‑awaited Land Use Framework is overdue to allocate land for multiple, sometimes competing, uses, enabling both mitigation and adaptation. The Cunliffe Water Review’s outcomes are eagerly awaited for potential improvement of water pollution through measures such as nature-based solutions, which would also improve drought preparedness. Community energy remains under-utilised; harnessing it could reduce transmission costs, ease conflicts with communities, and deserves urgent rollout in 2026. At the same time, the artificially high price of electricity should be addressed.
On the carbon sinks front, policy must prioritise protection and enhancement of carbon sinks even as renewables infrastructure expands. The UK’s failure to back the Tropical Forest Forever Facility was a misstep; reversing this in 2026, alongside implementing Schedule 17 of the Environment Act 2021 to establish due diligence for forest‑risk commodities such as soy, palm oil, and cattle, is vital to sustain leadership in this agenda. Domestically, the Land Use Framework and Farming Roadmap should clarify and safeguard natural carbon stores while identifying future tree planting sites.
“Parliamentarians must continue to press for momentum”
Short‑lived climate pollutants demand urgent attention, starting with methane. The committee’s report, Methane: Keep up the Momentum, identified reducing methane as low‑hanging fruit for cooling the planet. The government’s 2025 Methane Action Plan was criticised for lacking sectoral targets and ambition. 2026 must rectify this, with renewed, sector‑specific reduction commitments supported by clear delivery timetables.
Parliamentarians must continue to press for momentum: backing for green growth, robust safeguards for carbon sinks, and aggressive methane strategies. Leadership requires transparent, evidence‑based plans that engage the public and stakeholders, laying out bold steps toward a secure, green, and prosperous future. The government should articulate an agenda for 2026 that links land use, farming, energy, and industrial policy to net‑zero objectives, while addressing energy affordability and community engagement. By rising to this challenge, the Government can showcase credible climate leadership while spurring economic growth.
