Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many organisations have made representations to him in the last six months on reforming Ofgem’s remit to include a formal reference to delivering the Government’s legislated net zero target.

My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State regularly meets with organisations to discuss how the industry, government, and the regulator (Ofgem) will need to work together to deliver our net-zero targets.

Ofgem’s existing statutory duty to protect consumers’ interests includes their interests in the reduction of emissions of targeted greenhouse gases – which means the updated Climate Change Act target of 100%.

Additionally, the Energy White Paper committed the Government to consulting on an energy sector strategy and policy statement (SPS) for Ofgem during 2021. The SPS will set out the strategic priorities and policy outcomes of the Government’s energy policy and, subject to Parliamentary approval, net-zero will be a driving theme in the SPS. The SPS will impose a legal obligation on Ofgem to have regard to those strategic priorities and policy outcomes when exercising its regulatory functions and Ofgem will be required to report at the outset and annually on its progress and plans for implementation.