'Another step backwards on the critical road to Net Zero.'
Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg has called for Net Zero targets to be postponed ‘indefinitely.’
The comments were made after Rishi Sunak announced that Britain needs to build new, gas-fired power stations to ensure the country’s energy security. The stations would replace many aging existing plants. However, the plans do not include climate-change measures, which critics say could threaten a legally binding commitment to cut carbon emissions to Net Zero by 2050.
Shadow energy secretary Ed Miliband accused the Tories of “persisting with the ludicrous ban on onshore wind, bungling the offshore wind auctions, and failing on energy efficiency.”
Liberal Democrat energy and climate change spokesperson Wera Hobhouse said that announcement was “another step backwards on the critical road to Net Zero.”
But for Jacob Rees-Mogg, who has a long record of climate denialism, the government’s announcement to build new gas-fired power stations is a good first step against what he referred to as the Net Zero ‘obsession.’
Speaking to the Commons, the MP for North East Somerset said: “We have become fundamentally uncompetitive because of this green obsession.
“We want cheap electricity, and we should have gas and we should have coal and we should postpone net-zero indefinitely, because we are only 1% of global emissions, we are making no difference and the US economy is growing consistently faster than ours because of cheap energy.
“This is a good first step against the net-zero obsession, we need to go further,” he continued.
Rees-Mogg’s views were echoed by DUP MP Sammy Wilson, who labelled the Net Zero policy as “madness.”
In January 2023, Wilson was named as one of several MPs said to be part of the climate sceptic Net Zero Scrutiny Group.
“I hope that this decision is an indication of the realisation which seems to be slowly dawning on the government, of the impact of the madness of its Net Zero policy which has damaged the UK economy,” said the East Antrim MP.
Net Zero proponents were quick to denounce the proposal and its subsequent support.
The Green Alliance think-tank said the proposal ‘flies in the face’ of the government’s pledge to reach zero-carbon electricity by 2035.
Shadow climate change minister Alan Whitehead said the government is trying to “conjure a culture war” with energy policy.
Whitehead questioned how many new gas plants the government is hoping to build. “There is no mention of that in the 1,500 pages of documents that were published yesterday,” he added.
Caroline Lucas said she is “tired of this government shunning any scrutiny of its climate record.” The Green MP warned that the plans for new power stations “risk undermining our climate targets and leaving the country relying on imports of expensive gas.”
Gabrielle Pickard-Whitehead is a contributing editor to Left Foot Forward
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