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There is concern in Tory ranks that measures to slash net carbon dioxide emissions to zero could leave the country’s poorest citizens worse off.
A key worry is that the UK will make bold and expensive commitments when it hosts the international COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow in November. It is seen as a pivotal event in the fight against climate change, with Prince Charles due to speak.
Last week the UN’s IPCC (Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change) predicted the world would reach the 1.5C warming threshold — after which climate change will rapidly accelerate — within two decades.
However, it said immediate action could bring it back under control by the latter half of the century.
South Thanet Conservative MP Craig Mackinlay has formed the Net Zero Scrutiny Group and expects close to 30 MPs will take part.
Mr Mackinlay fears carbon reduction commitments will “hit the poorest hardest” and said he wished the UK was not hosting the landmark climate talks because when “you’re in the chair you feel you have to go all-in”.
His concerns were echoed by Gwythian Prins, emeritus research professor at the London School of Economics.
He warned that just as Winston Churchill’s Conservatives were swept out of office in 1945, Mr Johnson could see his majority evaporate if he makes unpopular decisions on climate change.
Prof Prins, a former security consultant at the Met Office’s Hadley Centre, argues that a better approach would be to use gas technology while small modular nuclear reactors are rolled out.
Warning of the potential of social unrest, he noted that the French “gilets jaunes” riots started as fuel tax protests. He wants the Government to introduce a tax incentive to encourage people to run cars on liquid petroleum gas, which he argues will reduce air pollution.
Prof Prins fears that much of the response to climate change is following the “economics of the madhouse” and is urging Mr Johnson to use COP26 to point the world in a new direction.
He said: “You shouldn’t meddle with these things, prime minister, nor do you need to. You’re a free market prime minister.
“The people who put you there in 2019 put you in as a Conservative. They did not vote for Greta Thunberg…
“If you can change the direction of COP26 away from this record of repeated failure, that would be a great thing to do.”
The influential right-leaning Institute of Economic Affairs think tank is also sceptical about the push to get people to use electric cars.
Policy analyst Alexander Hammond said: “If every diesel or petrol car in the UK was replace with an electric version (EV), over their lifetime they would avoid 324 million tonnes of CO2, which has a market value of £15.7billion. However, the taxpayer would have to fork out £82.1billion in EV subsidies alone – not to mention additional costs, such as funding hundreds of thousands of EV charging points.”
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A Government spokeswoman said: “As the IPCC report made clear [last] week, acting now will be cheaper than waiting to deal with the consequences of climate change which are already evident around the world.
“At every step of our path to net zero, we will be guided by affordability and fairness.
“The UK economy has already grown by 78% whilst cutting emissions by 44% over the past three decades – securing jobs, investment and exports across the country.
“The costs continue to fall as green technology advances, with solar and wind now cheaper than existing coal and gas power plants in most of the world, and more affordable electric vehicles continuing to come on the market.
“This is thanks to clear government signals, investment and targeted support that boosts private sector investment, builds industries and technology, and provides more affordable solutions for consumers.”
The Government points to an 85 percent fall in the cost of solar in the last ten years and 70 percent fall in the cost of offshore wind.
Mr Johnson has said the Government is determined to “keep bills low and that is a priority” and it must “make sure that we have the technology and make sure that it’s affordable”.
The people who put you there in 2019 put you in as a Conservative. They did not vote for Greta Thunberg…
Prof Gwythian Prins
Jim McConalogue of the think-tank Civitas argues it is possible to generate prosperity and “level-up for the future” while still ensuring that the “transition to green technologies is made affordable for small businesses”.
He suggests a “carbon border tax” which would “protect our manufacturers against unfair foreign competition while preserving our economic competitiveness”.
“The ongoing concern remains that as international competitors make commitments to net-zero targets, the UK must look to protect the interests of manufacturers and jobs across the regions while ensuring that the transition to green technologies is made affordable,” he said.
EXTINCTION REBELLION
Home Secretary Priti Patel and Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick have been urged to take a hard line against any attempt by Extinction Rebellion to create gridlock in the UK capital in the coming weeks.
Activists plan to “rebel” this month until their demand to “stop all new fossil fuel investment immediately” is met. Protests starting on August 23 will target the City of London.
The group’s website says “disruptive action” and a “digital rebellion” are planned as it targets “the root cause of the crisis, the political economy”.
South Thanet Conservative MP Craig Mackinlay is appalled that daily life could be affected at a time when he hopes the economy will be opening up following the lifting of coronavirus restrictions.
He said: “This time [the home secretary and the Met commissioner] need to be very hard because the economy is trying to get back on its feet and we don’t need impediments to people going about their normal business… I’m very annoyed about Extinction Rebellion because, we all know, you scratch the surface and there’s a socialist organisation screaming to get out.”
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