The Government has rejected calls from the Liberal Democrats for local authorities to have a statutory duty to deliver net zero.
Parliamentary under-secretary of state for energy security and net zero Amanda Solloway told a House of Commons backbench debate yesterday that councils ‘currently have a lot of flexibility when they take action on net zero’.
She said local authorities are ‘well placed to align net zero work with local opportunities…there can be significant economic advantages for local areas, attracting private sector net zero investment and building local supply chains’.
The minister added: ‘There is already a high level of local commitment in the sector and our local government colleagues have told us that a new statutory duty is not something they want.’
To continue reading visit The MJ (£).
If you found this story interesting, then check out our feature, 'Delivering on the local net zero promise'.
Sign up here to receive our free daily news and jobs bulletin.
