In 2019, the UK became the first major economy in the world to sign its commitment to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 into law.
Mission Zero, commissioned in September 2022 and published in November 2023, was a landmark independent report into the delivery of the UK’s net zero commitment. Chaired by Chris Skidmore, the UK’s former Energy Minister who was responsible for signing net zero into law, the review asked how the UK could better meet its net zero commitments, and how it might deliver targets in a way that works for all. Its conclusions set out a new economic narrative for climate policy, demonstrating the financial opportunity that net zero can deliver.
In this event, our panellists discuss the UK's transition to net zero. What challenges and opportunities will the UK face? How can we deliver net zero while also creating new jobs, industries and investment? How do we ensure that as we reduce our emissions, the transition is fair and creates a better future for everyone?
With Alix Dietzel (University of Bristol), Joss Garman (European Climate Foundation) and Chris Skidmore. Chaired by Lorraine Whitmarsh (University of Bath).
About the speakers
Alix Dietzel is Associate Director – Impact and Innovation at the Cabot Institute and Senior Lecturer in Politics, University of Bristol. She is a climate justice and climate policy expert. Focusing both on the global and local scale, she is interested in how just the response to climate change is and how we can ensure a just transition.
Joss Garman is an Executive Director of the European Climate Foundation (ECF), overseeing the ECF’s strategies and grant-making focused on communications and cultural change, as well as the UK programme. He has over 15 years of experience working at the intersection of campaigns, politics, policy and media through leadership roles in NGOs, think tanks, politics and philanthropy. These roles have included Political Director of Greenpeace UK, Associate Director for the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) and Political Adviser for the British Labour Party.
The Conservative MP for Kingswood between 2010 and 2024, Chris Skidmore held a number of ministerial positions, including Minister of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, at the Department for Education, and at the Department of Health and Social Care. In June 2019, as Minister for Energy and Clean Growth, he signed the UK's Net Zero Pledge into law. He was Chair of the Independent Government Review on Net Zero, Mission Zero, which was published in January 2023. He has since launched the Mission Zero Coalition, which aims to bring together sectors and communities to establish four Mission Zero Networks that will work on actions outlined in the review. He is a Professor of Practice at the University of Bath, focusing on Net Zero Policy.
This event is hosted by the University of Bath Institute for Policy Research (IPR).
