Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to set out further details of their planned review of The Green Book; and what steps they are taking to ensure (1) that they effectively consider their target to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 in undertaking that review, and (2) that all Government departments treat reaching that target as a priority.

The Government’s review of the Green Book - the government’s core guidance on how to develop and appraise schemes against government objectives – is currently ongoing.

An updated Green Book will be published later in the year, and early findings will inform the allocations process at the Spending Review in Autumn.

The review is focused on ensuring that the guidance is consistent with the Government’s ambition to level-up opportunity across the country, and it is also considering more broadly how project approval decisions are being made and looking at what clearer guidance and support to practitioners can be provided.

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The Green Book currently provides a framework for valuing the costs and benefits of interventions, including with regards to climate change mitigation and other environmental impacts. The guidance requires that environmental impacts for projects and programmes are assessed and that legal commitments such as net-zero must be considered as part of appraisal.

Tackling climate change is a priority for the Government. The UK was the first major economy in the world to legislate for net zero, increasing the ambition of our commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under the Climate Change Act 2008. The Government is committed to meeting that challenge.