A cross-party group of MPs has recommended the UK government's energy department drops "net zero" from its name and uses the term less, arguing it has become counter-productive. Parliament's Energy Security and Net Zero Committee, chaired by Labour MP Bill Esterson, said the term had become a "distraction" and ministers should overhaul climate communication. The committee argued the department should focus on wider societal benefits rather than the "technocratic" label.

This comes as the UK government aims to overhaul the economy to emit near-zero carbon dioxide, aligning with efforts by 140 countries under the Paris agreement. The UN scientists have concluded the world needs to reach net zero by around 2050 to arrest global warming. However, the term has faced increasing criticism.

Supporters of climate policy but critics of the term include Juergen Maier, previous chair of Great British Energy, who told a conference it was "politicised and doesn't mean anything to anyone". Dale Vince, founder of Ecotricity and a Labour Party donor, told Sky News it has become "toxified" and that "we have lost the public". The committee's report called for "more substantive communications" to reframe energy policy.

Graeme Downie, Labour MP for Dunfermline and Dollar, said policy needed to be "pragmatic and focused on people and communities". A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said there were no plans for a name change, calling the proposal an "unnecessary distraction".