Accelerating Net Zero: From Ambition to Delivery

Title: Accelerating Net Zero: From Ambition to Delivery - Tackling Climate Change & Driving UK Prosperity and Growth

Published: December 2025

Carbon Balance Initiative, in collaboration with Net Zero All-Party Parliamentary Group and Oxford Net Zero, University of Oxford, presents a new report with near-term actions to unblock the delivery of net zero in the UK.

The UK has made significant progress on climate action, halving emissions since 1990 and building a globally competitive low-carbon economy. However, evidence from the Accelerating Net Zero programme shows that delivery is now at risk of slowing as structural barriers emerge across power, transport, buildings, and industry.

This report shifts the focus from targets to implementation. It shows that proven solutions already exist, but progress is being held back by grid constraints, misaligned energy prices, skills shortages, fragmented regulation, and insufficient policy certainty. With the 2030 carbon budget approaching, addressing these barriers is now an economic and social imperative. Drawing on expert evidence and cross-sector engagement, the report sets out practical, low-cost actions that can be delivered within this Parliament to accelerate emissions reductions, lower energy bills, and unlock investment

Download the full report

Key Recommendations Include:

Clean Power:

• Accelerate grid connections and mandate community benefit schemes for new energy infrastructure.

• Empower consumers to use electricity when it is cheapest, through visible, granular price signals to reduce energy bills.

• Future-proof existing firm power capacity for a net zero grid in preparation for electricity demand increases, including from AI data centres.

Transport:

• Equalise VAT on public and home charging and target infrastructure funding at underserved areas.

• Advance a national conversation on fair road pricing and provide clear EV communication.

• Publish a comprehensive HGV decarbonisation strategy and strengthen the SAF mandate with targeted support.

Homes & Buildings:

• Establish a dedicated Net Zero Skills Action Plan for homes and buildings.

• Rebalance Energy Prices to accelerate the adoption of low-carbon heating.

• Deliver regulatory certainty through a national retrofit strategy and clear mandates.

Industry:

• Establish business models for industrial electrification.

• Implement low-carbon product standards for steel, cement and other building materials.

• Accelerate CCS deployment through producer responsibility mandates and infrastructure investment.