Kemi Badenoch is facing accusations of reversing her stance on the UK’s net zero commitment, despite previously assuring Conservative MPs that she supported the policy.
Chris Skidmore, a former government minister who served from 2016 to 2020 and led a high-level review on achieving net zero by 2050, has claimed that Badenoch gave her backing to the target during a leadership hustings in 2022. At the time, she was seeking support in the race to succeed Boris Johnson as Conservative leader.
“I remember clearly how she told a Conservative Environment Network hustings, attended by 60 MPs, that she believed in net zero,” Skidmore stated. He added that Badenoch had reiterated this position in a cabinet committee meeting chaired by former COP26 President Alok Sharma, emphasizing the importance of net zero for green trade and global supply chains.
Another Conservative source who attended the 2022 hustings confirmed that Badenoch had privately voiced her support for the policy but appeared to shift her position soon afterward.
Last week, Badenoch sparked outrage among environmentally conscious Conservatives by dismissing the net zero target as unattainable. She argued that achieving it would either require a severe decline in living standards or impose unsustainable financial burdens.
“We need to be honest with the public,” she declared. “Government by press release must stop. Net zero by 2050 is impossible.”
Her remarks were swiftly challenged by former Prime Minister Theresa May, who introduced the target while in office. May insisted that while reaching net zero by 2050 would be difficult, it remained both feasible and cost-effective, as confirmed by scientific research and the independent Climate Change Committee (CCC).
Lord Deben, who chaired the CCC from 2012 to 2023, criticized Badenoch for failing to consult experts before dismissing the policy. “You would have expected her to seek advice from the Climate Change Committee, which was established by the Conservatives for this very purpose,” he remarked. He warned that abandoning net zero could deter green investment, prolong reliance on fossil fuels, and lead to higher energy costs.
Ryan Shorthouse, executive chair of the Bright Blue think tank, highlighted the political risks of abandoning net zero. He noted that climate action consistently ranks as a top priority for voters under 40.
“Independent evidence shows that net zero by 2050 is achievable if the right policies are in place to support people on modest incomes through the transition,” he explained. “Failing to act now will lead to unsustainable costs for both the environment and the economy.”
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