Business leaders call on government to put carbon pricing at heart of UK climate plan

Groups as diverse as Tesco and Greenpeace back letter urging government to deliver stronger and more consistent carbon pricing regime

Ahead of today's Spending Review the government is facing fresh calls to reform the UK's carbon pricing regime in support of the net zero transition.

Yesterday, a group of 50 leading businesses, campaign groups, and academics submitted a declaration to the Prime Minister, Chancellor, and COP26 President calling for the government to commit to incorporating carbon pricing as part of its updated national climate plan, which is due to be submitted to the UN in the coming weeks.

Co-ordinated by the Zero Carbon Campaign, the declaration calls for the government to introduce "stronger and more consistent carbon pricing" in the UK's national climate action plan, or Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in the UN jargon.

It also calls for Ministers to encourage all jurisdictions to include new or strengthened carbon pricing commitments in their NDC and end state support for fossil fuel production, and make securing a global agreement on carbon pricing a core focus of the UK's COP26 diplomacy. It specifically recommends forming a "high ambition club" of countries who are willing to demonstrate leadership in advancing carbon pricing mechanisms.