Just sent by Gordon James, a lifelong environmental campaigner…
Simon Hart MP (Carmarthen West & South Pembrokeshire)
House of Commons
Dear Mr Hart,
The head of the world’s energy watchdog, The International Energy Agency (IEA), has warned, in today’s Guardian, that countries that water down environmental policies are worsening the climate crisis and damaging their own economies [1]. These comments can only be interpreted as a rebuke of your government’s decision to dilute policies aimed at achieving the net zero targets, as announced by the Prime Minister just over a month ago.
Dr Fatih Birol, the director of the IEA, fired this warning shot following the release of the IEA’s annual report [2] which welcomed the global growth in low carbon energy technologies and predicted that demand for oil, gas and coal would peak before the end of the decade. In the Guardian interview, he states:
“The world is entering an era of clean energy technology manufacturing. Governments are competing with each other for pole position to create good jobs in modern industries.”
Dr Birol’s comments echo those made by company directors following Rishi Sunak’s announcement last month.
Chris Norbury, the Chief Executive of E.ON UK, accused your government of delaying the vital work of transforming our economy and condemning people to many more years of living in cold and draughty homes that are expensive to heat. Jurgen Maier, the former Chief Executive of Siemens UK said the policy created chaos for industry, making the UK far less attractive to international investors. Mike Hawes, the Chief Executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, responded by pointing out that the car industry was investing billions in new electric vehicles and that the government announcement created anxiety rather than confidence, while Ian Plummer, the director of AutoTrader, said the delay on phasing out new petrol and diesel vehicles was a hugely retrograde step. I also notice that your former boss, Boris Johnson, warned that your government’s U-turn would increase uncertainty for British businesses and increase costs for British families.
After reading today the summary of the IEA’s annual report, I read an article that warned that the melting of the ice sheet of west Antarctica is rapidly accelerating and now seems inevitable no matter how much carbon emissions are cut [3]. This would cause sea levels to rise by several metres flooding coastal areas, including cities, where millions of people live. Almost daily now, we hear of such dire predictions and witness evidence of the heartbreaking impacts of wildfires and flooding on people’s lives as climatic changes kick in sooner and fiercer than many expected.
As the Government’s Chief Whip and member of the Cabinet, are you prepared to use your influence to urge your colleagues in government to recognise that its recent U-turn is impeding efforts to reduce the frightening impacts of climate change and for the UK to reap the benefits of the rapidly growing low carbon economy?
And, as the Office of National Statistics has reported that three in four of the UK population are worried about climate change [4], don’t you think that the Conservative Party’s electoral performance would improve if the Government would introduce policies to reduce rather than increase this worrying threat?
Yours sincerely
Gordon James
References
1.The Guardian, Tuesday, 24 October 2023
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/oct/24/sunak-faces-further-pressure-over-net-zero-u-turn-iea-warning-energy-watchdog
2. World Energy Outlook 2023
https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-outlook-2023/executive-summary
3. Increasing melting of West Antarctic ice shelves may be unavoidable – new research.
https://theconversation.com/increasing-melting-of-west-antarctic-ice-shelves-may-be-unavoidable-new-research-216030
4. https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/wellbeing/articles/worriesaboutclimatechangegreatbritain/septembertooctober2022