MINISTERS have been accused of “kicking the can down the road” when it comes to financing Jersey’s transition to net zero after the government revealed it will not bring detailed funding plans before the 2026 election – three years after originally planned.
Nigel Jones, chair of climate change charity Jersey in Transition, said it was “irresponsible” and “weak” to leave it to the next government to find funds for the Island’s remaining journey to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Environment Minister Steve Luce stressed he was still “extremely keen to make sure that we do not lose momentum” in reducing emissions after telling States Members earlier this week that work was under way to develop the Net Zero Financing Strategy – a longer-term budgeting plan that will consider all available options to fund decarbonisation at the pace required to reach targets in the Carbon Neutral Roadmap.
This was originally due to be brought to the Assembly in 2023, according to the Climate Emergency Fund web page on gov.je.
Deputy Luce said the strategy would be informed by principles agreed by the Assembly in the 2024 to 2027 Government Plan which include ensuring the adoption of “polluter pays” measures and minimising the burden to future generations.
“This is a major task and one which will need to be approached in phases,” he said. “Officers are now developing policy proposals for the period 2026 to 2030, so these can be costed.”
He said the first phase of the Net Zero Financing Strategy would be presented to the new Assembly in 2026, with proposals for a roadmap and delivery plan for the period up to 2030.
This timing, he added, would allow the recommendations from the Independent Climate Council in relation to the first four years of the Carbon Neutral Roadmap to be properly taken into account.
He also said he would extend the current plan, which is due to end in 2025, for a year to ensure that four-year delivery periods align with Assembly election and the Independent Climate Council’s findings.
The Climate Emergency Fund, which is currently funding the roadmap, receives 9p a litre in fuel duty and a proportion of vehicle emissions duty.
“Maintaining those will be critical if we are to have a realistic chance of meeting our emissions targets,” Deputy Luce said.
The first target is to reduce emissions by 68% by 2030. At the end of 2022, the Island had succeeded in reducing it by 47%.
Deputy Luce added: “We will need to supplement the Climate Emergency Fund with additional revenue in the next few years, and we’re going to have to look at polluter-pays taxes, or potentially capital from our own financial industry. We’re continuing to look at tax charge levy on private jets.”
Deputy Jonathan Renouf, a former Environment Minister, called the minister’s statement that the longer-term piece work, mandated in the previous Assembly, was not going to happen at least until the next Assembly “eye-catching”.
He continued: “Jersey has done very well to maintain a strong consensus in the Assembly on climate change, and it has not become the political football it has in the UK, where the party with political advantage means some of the momentum has been ditched.
“That consensus is worth holding onto. I would want to support the minister in any move he does make, and I think his language around maintaining the commitment was strong and good.
“But I just feel like there is a danger that we are moving to a period of more words and not much action.”
He also urged the minister to be “more creative” with ways to boost the current Climate Emergency Fund, which he said was at risk of being “permanently hobbled”.
He said: “There is room for more action when it comes to vehicle emissions duty, and other clever ways to approach this, such as private parking space charges.
“I would like to see a bit more flesh on the bones on what we could achieve in the next two years rather than sitting back on what we’ve got now.”
Jersey in Transition’s chair, Nigel Jones, also expressed concern, saying: “Now is the time where we should be doing everything we can. It’s only going to get tougher and harder, as the world economy and local economy gets tighter as the climate emergency takes root.
“If we can’t afford to make changes this decade, we certainly won’t be able to afford to do those things in the 2030s and 40s.”
He continued: “It’s everyone’s responsibility to take some action on the climate emergency, and this kicking the can down the road to the next government is so irresponsible and so weak. We’re acting in a very weak way when what is needed is strong action.
“The UK government is falling well behind on its commitments and is not going to make the 2030 targets. We’re taking our cue from the UK parliament and adding our own lethargy on top of it, which is a real shame.”
