The Climate Change Committee (CCC) has strongly welcomed the prime minister’s ten-point-plan for the UK’s transition to net zero emissions in just 30 years.

Despite a more cautious welcome from other leading industry figures, who have questioned whether the plans go far enough, the CCC says the government’s plans will help put the UK on track to becoming one of the world’s cleanest economies while boosting business and creating thousands of jobs in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Lord Deben, chairman of the Climate Change Committee, said: “I am delighted to see the breadth of the prime minister’s commitment. This must now be turned into a detailed road map, so we all know what’s coming down the track in the years ahead. Our homes, the way we travel, our industries, our land, and all of us individually have a role to play as we strive to lead the world in tackling climate change. The good news is that we can also reap the rewards – improved health, a stronger economy, a boost for UK jobs and the ability to tell our children and grandchildren that the UK acted in time.”

Chris Stark, chief executive of the Climate Change Committee, said: “The plans announced today will transform Britain for the better, bringing new opportunities and new investment. This is our path out of the economic challenges created by the covid crisis. And it is a set of commitments that will raise the UK’s credibility ahead of the pivotal COP26 climate summit next year. This is just the tonic as we look to 2021.”

The government’s plans were announced less than a week after Lord Deben, interviewed exclusively by Infrastructure Intelligence, described working with previous prime ministers including Margaret Thatcher, David Cameron and Theresa May and said “if Boris Johnson does what he says on net zero, he may well be the one who makes this succeed.”