It is always fantastic to see how much the people in the UK care about protecting our environment, tackling climate change, leading the world in the ‘Green Revolution’ and setting out future measures for sustainable living and nature's recovery.
As my colleague, the Shadow Secretary for State Andrew Bowie MP, put it so well during the Climate and Nature PMB debate earlier this year,
A world with a cleaner climate and with thriving nature and wildlife is one we all aspire to; it is the core belief of Conservativism that we should seek to leave the country and the world in a better place than that in which we found them, for both our children and our grandchildren
However, I am very clear we must do so in a way that is practical, affordable, improves people’s lives and is in line with the United Kingdom's national interests.
I agree climate change is a global challenge we must meet with practical leadership while aiming to build a cleaner, greener, healthier country here in the UK. It is a great achievement that, as of 2023, we had already cut carbon emissions by 48 per cent since 1990, more than any other G7 country while still growing the economy, largely by expanding clean electricity and phasing out coal - something few other countries have achieved. It is worth noting the UK only accounts for 1 per cent of global emissions which sadly continue to rise in other countries.
I believe the Carbon Budget Delivery Plan published by the previous Government set out a pragmatic approach to net zero, one that would have delivered on the UK's legal binding targets while protecting families and businesses from rising costs. Funding new nuclear power and green research and development offers the best way of addressing climate change, in a way that maintains public support and does not hit the poorest the hardest. That is what this plan would have achieved, and I remain disappointed it could not be implemented.
I am concerned the Labour Government’s approach risks driving up costs for households without addressing the real challenges of energy security and global emissions. Wind and solar fluctuate daily and weekly, requiring expensive batteries often imported from major polluters, or reliance on imported oil and gas when they fall short. It is vital the transition to clean energy is genuinely sustainable, affordable for households, and globally effective, so that the UK’s decarbonisation doesn’t simply shift emissions abroad.
Climate change is ultimately a global problem. If an excessive focus on cutting domestic emissions means British industry moves overseas to major polluters such as China, global emissions will simply increase while still causing major harm to our economy, undermining global efforts to reduce carbon emissions and leaving us reliant on imports that are more expensive, less reliable, and less environmentally friendly. It is unacceptable that businesses and households in the UK already face some of the highest energy prices in Europe, and the Government's plans for rushing to decarbonise 95 per cent of the electricity grid in just five years look set to make energy bills even more unaffordable. The Climate Change Committee's own estimates show that meeting net zero by 2050 means charging even higher prices on carbon and forcing businesses to spend billions electrifying their production processes.
I would like to take a moment to address the Make Polluters Pay campaign which held an event on 4 June in Parliament. While I understand the desire to make ‘polluters’ contribute more to addressing environmental damage, I cannot support further punitive taxes on North Sea oil and gas firms, particularly at a time when there is, quite simply, no windfall left to tax. Businesses in this sector are already paying a 78 per cent headline rate and face significant uncertainty about the future.
Oil and gas companies and other businesses are already taxed on the emissions they produce through the Climate Change Levy, including industrial, commercial, and agricultural activities. Additionally, fossil fuel consumption is taxed through the carbon price support rates of the Climate Change Levy on natural gas, liquified petroleum gas, and coal and other solid fossil fuels used to produce electricity. Oil and gas companies that operate in the UK or on the UK Continental Shelf are also taxed through the Energy Profits Levy. The UK is ultimately only responsible for 1 per cent of global emissions - burdening industry with even more taxes would only further the damage caused to our economy by the rush to achieve net zero, leading to more closures and job losses and risking even higher energy bills for families and businesses.
Turning to our housing stock, while I am proud of the previous Government’s record here, I agree the UK needs to go further and move faster to insulate more homes. We inherited a situation in which only 12 per cent of households had an insulation EPC rating of C or above. When the Conservatives left office, it was up to 41 per cent, a near 30 per cent increase. I know rural areas like my constituency of East Grinstead and Uckfield face particular challenges, with older housing stock, higher exposure to the cold, and many households still relying on expensive oil or LPG heating. That is why I believe it is so important that support continues to be targeted where it is needed most. The Government has committed £3.4 billion over three years for heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency, alongside the Energy Company Obligation scheme and the Great British Insulation Scheme, both of which are designed to help vulnerable households with insulation and low-carbon heating. These are important steps, but we must ensure that funding reaches those in rural and remote communities who often face the highest costs and coldest winters. Politics aside, I assure you I will work constructively to find solutions and tackle fuel poverty across the United Kingdom. I will continue to scrutinise Government plans to make sure they deliver the help that is so urgently needed.
Climate action must go hand in hand with economic realism and energy independence, not at the expense of them. It is vital we ensure our climate policies are practical and protect families and businesses from unnecessary costs, showing that prosperity and living standards can still be maintained and energy can be kept affordable if we are to encourage other major polluters such as China to go further in tackling climate change. No one will follow a country into decline, higher costs and lower living standards for its people. I care deeply about our natural environment—our rivers, our wildlife, and our countryside – and here in the East Grinstead and Uckfield constituency, we are indeed blessed. But we must be honest - the current approach is failing on both counts of keeping energy costs down while reducing our environmental impact. Politicians must acknowledge the trade-offs involved.
At COP29, where he was one of only seven G20 leaders attending the summit, with 13 absentees including the premiers of the US, China, France and Germany, the Prime Minister signed the UK up to a new target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 81 per cent by 2035. The Government claims its approach will cut bills, create jobs, strengthen energy security and ‘tread lightly on people’s lives’, yet reports from the Institute for Fiscal Studies and the National Energy System Operator suggest the opposite: higher costs, increased reliance on gas, and continued instability in our energy system. Independent assessments, even from the Climate Change Committee, suggest achieving this new target will require significant lifestyle changes - including cutting back on meat and dairy, replacing petrol cars with EVs, and swapping gas boilers for heat pumps - all at a pace and scale that will likely require unwelcome new taxes and unpopular mandates.
At COP29 in Baku, the Secretary of State also committed the UK to a new $300 billion annual climate finance target, without setting out what this means for taxpayers. It is concerning that while Britain has already invested billions in cutting its emissions, countries like China, the world’s largest polluter, will not be required to contribute. It is only right that the Government is transparent about the costs of these decisions and the impact of relying on coal-powered Chinese imports to meet its clean energy ambitions.
The announcements by the Government since COP29 have only further highlighted this gap between ambition and reality. I am in no doubt this Government's ideological plans for our energy supply will leave the UK dependent on foreign imports, reliable on interconnectors, send bills soaring, and leave us teetering on the brink of blackouts.
Net Zero by 2050, as currently set out, is unrealistic and I remain concerned about the increasingly centralised approach to climate policy. Binding Ministers to rigid carbon budgets risks forcing policies that harm British workers and stifle innovation. Instead, we should empower businesses to innovate and develop the technologies that will enable other countries, especially coal-reliant economies, to reduce their emissions. That is how the UK can lead on climate change – in a way that allows us to protect nature, conserve our landscapes and leave the climate in a better state for generations to come.
The Opposition will be addressing this as part of its policy renewal, ensuring that the UK pursues an energy strategy that is both affordable and effective, and in the national interest.
I understand that the Government's own climate action plan is due to be published before 29 October 2025. It is crucial this sets out a serious plan that balances affordability, security, and sustainability, being honest that renewables are intermittent and recognising that reliable power from nuclear and gas must be part of the UK's energy mix. Alarmingly, it has scrapped the work commissioned by the previous Government to assess the full cost of transitioning to a renewables-based system. Moving forward without understanding these costs would be reckless and unfair to the British people.
I look forward to scrutinising the Government's proposals once further details are made available.
