Net Zero Rush-Through Criticised By Lords, Forum Claims

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02 July 2019

The Global Warming Policy Forum has claimed the House of Lords has rebuked the Government for rushing through a commitment to a Net Zero economy.

The Forum refutes the impact of climate change and campaigns to reduce the 'financial burden' of change.  

The Global Warming Policy Forum (GWPF) claims that on the evening of June 26, Peers said a Net Zero emissions target had been rushed through with little scrutiny and no plan for how it might be achieved.

The Forum has warned that the cost of reducing net greenhouse emissions to zero by 2050 could be well in excess of £1 trillion.

In echoes of Boris Johnson, a GWPF spokesperson said: "This sum would fund the salaries of 314,000 nurses for a century.

"The net zero emissions target is likely to do enormous harm to the poorest people in society, who will be asked to pay relatively more for their energy and could be priced out of activities such as driving cars and flying abroad. Not a single MP spoke out against the proposal, instead they all congratulated themselves on how Britain was ‘leading the world’.

Scrutiny

The GWPF's claims that a debate in the Lords saw a number of peers warning that the measure had not been properly thought through. Nor a  claim that Lord Lawson had warned Peers in a letter that they risked committing Britain to ‘astronomical costs’ by voting for Net Zero; or that Viscount Ridley had said the figures provided to the House by the Committee on Climate Change on the cost of Net Zero were vague and opaque.

Please note, ThisWeekinFM has scrutinised the reports of proceedings from the House of Lords and can find no evidence to support the GWPF's report of the above.

Lord Donoughue, the Chairman of the Global Warming Policy Foundation has informed ThisWeekinFM that he was in attendance and asked: "Will it be, as is the case with the £15 billion in current climate costs, that the working people of this country carry the main burden, relative to their incomes, through paying significantly higher energy costs and green taxes to subside renewables?"

Donoughue told ThisWeekinFM: "Peers voted for an amendment which expressed regret that Her Majesty’s Government had 'given little detail of how the emissions target will be met' and 'made a substantial change in policy without the full and proper scrutiny that such a change deserves'.

A Climate Of Change

The Prime Minister (Theresa May) announced that the UK will eradicate its net contribution to climate change by 2050. The statutory instrument to implement was laid before Parliament on Wednesday 12 June 2019. This was passed and thus amended the Climate Change Act 2008.

In an earlier report, the Committee on Climate Change forecast significant benefits to public health and savings to the NHS from better air quality and less noise pollution, as well as improved biodiversity.

This legislation will mean that the UK is on track to become the first G7 country to legislate for net zero emissions, with other major economies expected to follow suit.

The UK will conduct a further assessment within 5 years to confirm that other countries are taking similarly ambitious action, multiplying the effect of the UK’s lead and ensuring that UK industries do not face unfair competition.

Youth voice

For the first time, young people will have the chance to shape our future climate policy through the Youth Steering Group. The Group, set up by DCMS and led by the British Youth Council, will advise Government on priorities for environmental action and give a view on progress to date against existing commitments on climate, waste and recycling, and biodiversity loss. They will start their review in this month (July).

May said: "As the first country to legislate for long-term climate targets, we can be truly proud of our record in tackling climate change. We have made huge progress in growing our economy and the jobs market while slashing emissions. Now is the time to go further and faster to safeguard the environment for our children. This country led the world in innovation during the Industrial Revolution and now we must lead the world to a cleaner, greener form of growth.

"Standing by is not an option. Reaching net zero by 2050 is an ambitious target but it is crucial that we achieve it to ensure we protect our planet for future generations."

Clean Growth Strategy

Prime Minister May continued: "Whilst it will be for future governments to determine the precise direction of future climate policy, the Committee on Climate Change acknowledge that we have laid strong foundations through our Clean Growth Strategy and taken action to tackle climate change across key sectors of the economy identified by the report."

Businesses, academics and people across society have endorsed the advice from the Committee on Climate Change. Welcoming the announcement, Dame Carolyn Fairbairn DBE, CBI Director-General, said: "UK business stands squarely behind the Government’s commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. This legislation is the right response to the global climate crisis - and firms are ready to play their part in combating it.

"We will continue to work with our international partners to tackle climate change, including through our bid to host COP26."

Picture: The UK will eradicate its net contribution to climate change by 2050.

Article written by Brian Shillibeer | Published 02 July 2019

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