UK creates Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

The UK government has announced the creation of a Department for Energy Security and Net Zero with the goal of securing “long-term energy supply, bringing down bills and halving inflation”.

Prime minister Rishi Sunak created four new department as part of a series of machinery of government changes. He said that the establishment of a standalone energy security and net zero department recognised the “need to secure more energy from domestic nuclear and renewable sources as we seize the opportunities of net zero”.

Eliette Riera, head of UK policy at the Principles for Responsible Investment, suggested the new department could be a “positive step”. But she stressed that net zero should not be addressed in a siloed manner.

“The current energy security and cost-of-living crises can be only tackled effectively alongside the pursuit of longer-term climate objectives, and not in isolation. Shifting financial flows, to address key societal concerns such as climate change, loss of biodiversity and inequality, is pivotal to ensuring long-term resilience, stability and prosperity.

“This requires foundational changes in public policy as a whole: net zero must be placed at the core of the UK government and reflected in all aspects of the new departments created today.”