What do we need in a Big Climate Plan?

The Big Climate Plan has 5 demands of the UK government to ensure the next plan delivers for people as well as planet.

1. Keep its promise to cut carbon emissions by at least 68% by 2030, utilising experts’ knowledge and the public’s feedback.

The government's climate plan must include policies that its independent advisor, the Climate Change Committee, says are credible.

Just as you wouldn’t set off on a journey without a back-up route, we’ll also need a contingency plan if problems emerge along the way. We won’t leave anyone behind, so engaging the public at every turn is critical.

Two images side by side with a paper tear between them, on one side a large group cheering The Big Ask campaign, on the other smiling protestors outside the Royal Courts of Justice calling for a stronger climate plan.

2. Invest in our future by funding local, national and international climate action.

Empower local authorities to help meet the UK’s climate targets by giving them funding and the mandate to do so. At a national level, raise taxes on polluting industries, carbon-intensive luxury goods and investment income of the ultra-rich.

As one of the world’s biggest historical emitters of CO₂, the UK must honour its commitment to pay £11.6 billion in climate finance to poorer countries, in addition to overseas aid.

An image of wind turbines overlaid on an image of a coal mine, with a torn paper effect to separate the two

3. Ensure everyone can live in a warm home powered by cheap, clean energy.

We need immediate and ongoing support for people who can’t afford eye-watering bills. Then we’ll need an emergency programme to insulate our heat-leaking homes.

In the long run, all our homes need to be powered by cheap, green renewables, so we need to get building more wind and solar capacity.

Two images separated by a tear. One is an offshore gas plant and the other is offshore wind farm

4. Deliver affordable, reliable public transport and clean air.

First off, let’s stop spending billions building new roads, which only encourage more traffic. Instead, let’s use funds to revitalise public transport. Nationalise the railways and regulate bus services so that they're easy and accessible for people to use. Encourage less driving and introduce a frequent flyer levy to make flying fairer for everyone.

Doing all of this will give us more options. And we’ll enjoy cleaner air and quieter streets.

An image of pollution with an image of a plan. They're split with a paper tear through the middle.

5. Help people find well-paid green jobs, especially sectors and communities at risk of being left behind.

Everyone deserves to be able to support themselves and their loved ones. If the UK’s transition away from fossil fuels to clean energy widens the gap between the rich and the poor, we’ll have failed.

For instance, we need to invest in projects that bring clean energy jobs to communities that rely on fossil fuel industries. We can train a new generation of skilled workers to electrify sectors, including buildings, transportation and manufacturing.