© Alastair Johnstone / Climate Visuals
Words by Bella Zanin (Knowledge Exchange Associate)
Expert evidence from CAST and its Director Prof Lorraine Whitmarsh MBE has informed the Environmental Audit Committee’s Seventh Carbon Budget report. The document synthesises evidence on how to successfully reduce UK emissions and makes recommendations for the Government’s upcoming Seventh Carbon Budget.
MPs’ new advice to Government
On 4th March 2026, the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) published a new report which makes recommendations to the Government for the UK’s Seventh Carbon Budget, based on a synthesis of information gathered from experts, practitioners and the public. CAST contributed a detailed written submission which pulls insights from our many years of environmental social science research. Our CAST Director, Professor Lorraine Whitmarsh MBE, was also invited to give further evidence in Parliament as part of an expert panel.
Championing social science evidence
We were pleased to see many of CAST’s key messages included in the EAC’s report. Primarily, it recognises that reducing emissions in the late 2030s and early 2040s will require some element of behaviour change. By then, the ‘low-hanging fruit’ of the net zero tree – changes that can be carried out largely ‘in the background’, such as removing coal from the energy mix – will have been picked. To really reduce pollution, we will all have to make some changes to the way we live our lives.
Crucially, as the report makes clear, these changes should not be about personal sacrifice. In fact, if they are designed based on meaningful consideration of people’s needs and views and supported by proper Government policy, they should improve our lives. The Committee explains that for climate policies to be effective, they must ensure “households experience the direct benefits of decarbonisation in everyday life, including warmer homes, lower energy bills, cleaner air and improved health.”
Behavioural outcomes are therefore inseparable from the design of delivery systems and markets, rather than being a matter of individual responsibility in isolation.
Many of CAST’s other findings are embedded throughout the report – these include the importance of fairness; consistent, coordinated Government leadership; sustained public engagement; and locally-focused initiatives. The EAC highlights that climate policies must “make low-carbon choices affordable, accessible and practical” and that the Government “has a responsibility to provide clear information, practical support, and to instil confidence that change is being delivered fairly and competently.”
The Committee explains: “Behaviour change at this scale cannot be delivered through information or awareness-raising alone. Decisions involving high upfront costs or long-term commitment, such as heating systems, vehicles or home improvements, are shaped by affordability, convenience, default options and trust. Behavioural outcomes are therefore inseparable from the design of delivery systems and markets, rather than being a matter of individual responsibility in isolation.”
In other words, people want to make low-carbon choices, but they need to be supported by better physical, financial and social structures. We couldn’t agree more.
So, what happens next?
The UK Government is legally required to set the nation’s Seventh Carbon Budget by June 2026. This key piece of climate legislation formally caps the total amount of polluting gases the UK can emit from 2038-42 and outlines how ministers will ensure we don’t exceed that limit.
The Government has at its disposal the Climate Change Committee’s extensive analysis of what a feasible Seventh Carbon Budget could look like, published in February 2025. And now, the EAC’s evaluation of that analysis. We urge the Government to use these valuable resources and heed their recommendations.
At a time when political polarisation seems to be rising and British people are increasingly feeling the squeeze of the cost of living, getting climate policy right is crucial. With its Seventh Carbon Budget, the UK Government has a real opportunity to show the public it is serious about tackling climate change and serious about helping normal people make sustainable choices.
Read the Environmental Audit Committee’s full report: The Seventh Carbon Budget
Watch our CAST Director, Prof Lorraine Whitmarsh MBE, give evidence in Parliament: Parliamentlive.tv – Environmental Audit Committee
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