Kemi Badenoch wants the Climate Change Act gone – but why?

Leon Roscoe reports on the Conservative leader’s plans to pull out of the 2008 Climate Change Act.

Just over a week ago the Conservatives pledged to remove the Climate Change Act environmentalists, Labour MPs and even Conservative former prime minister Theresa May spoke out against this decision.

The Climate Change Act, passed in 2008, had the backing of all major political parties. It set targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, granted ministers powers to help meet these targets and created an advisory committee entitled ‘Committee on Climate Change.’ 

Initially, the overall target was an 80% reduction in emissions by 2050. At the time, both Conservatives and Liberal Democrats pushed for more frequent goals and tighter regulations on emissions . The target was officially increased in 2019, under Theresa May’s premiership, to a complete eradication of greenhouse gas emissions or full ‘net zero’ status.

The Act was the first of its kind and is hailed as a landmark piece of legislation in handling climate change. The 2024 Conservative Manifesto reaffirms this ambitious goal, stating “[we] remain committed to delivering net zero by 2050” and champions half of the UK’s electricity coming from renewables “while growing our economy by 80%”. 

So, why does Tory leader Kemi Badenoch want it repealed?

For today’s Conservatives, it all boils down to energy. At the Conservative Party Conference, shadow minister Claire Coutinho spoke about the importance of energy and how “energy is prosperity”. She states that the highest levels of growth occurred when energy was reliable, cheap and abundant, arguing: “There is not a single country on earth which has high growth, and low energy.”

Coutinho also cites high energy cost as the reason for industries leaving the UK: Wigan’s fiberglass factory, Grangemouth’s refinery, Vauxhall in Luton and the oil industries in the North Sea. The minister argues that newer industries, such as Artificial Intelligence, will establish their industries not in the UK, but where the energy is cheap.
The Conservatives claim that by removing the “red tape” surrounding our energy laws, they will prioritise economic growth through cheaper energy. Though Kemi Badenoch does not deny the reality of climate change, she does not offer any alternative protections for our environment.

The plan has been met with criticism from across the political and scientific spectrum. Businesses have stated that removing the Act will put jobs at risk, especially in the North East. Ed Miliband, Labour’s energy secretary, stated the change would be a “disaster” and called the policy “desperate”.

Words by Leon Roscoe

Image: Tania Malréchauffé on Unsplash