Jeremy Hunt’s net zero target claims criticised by climate advisers

Jeremy Hunt is not the first politician whose claims have been challenged by the independent Climate Change Committee. Photograph: Maja Smiejkowska/PA

Jeremy Hunt has been criticised by the head of the independent Climate Change Committee (CCC) over his assurances that the government can still meet its climate targets while allowing companies to extract more oil and gas from the North Sea.

Piers Forster, the interim chair of the CCC, publicly challenged the chancellor on Sunday, after Hunt used predictions made by the committee to defend his government’s oil and gas licensing bill. MPs will vote on the bill on Monday, with several Conservative MPs likely to team up with Labour in voting against it.