WITH THE UK’s new Prime Minister about to be announced, West Midlands Friends of the Earth has outlined five ways they could tackle the energy and climate crises.
Either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak will be named in the next hour.
The group said it had concerns about the Conservative leadership front-runner Truss’ enthusiasm for new fossil fuel developments.
It said it raised serious concerns about her commitment to addressing both the climate emergency and implementing the solutions needed to tackle the energy crisis.
1. Energy efficiency measures
WMFOE said it was a quick way to reduce the nation’s reliance on increasingly expensive gas.
With almost 5million households in England and Wales without even basic measures such as loft or cavity wall insulation, it means their homes rapidly lose heat and cost more to keep warm.
Friends of the Earth is calling on the government to fund a free street by street home insulation programme – focussing on those most in need and estimates that this could slash annual energy bills for many homes by a £1,000 or more.
2. Investing in renewables
The UK has huge renewable energy resources. In addition to the rapid growth in offshore wind already promised by the government, the campaign group said it needed to see the same commitment to boosting onshore wind and solar.
The campaign group added, instead of promising to do so, the candidates vying to be Prime Minister had spent the summer condemning onshore renewables, despite their popularity and the fact renewable power is now nine times cheaper than gas.
“The next Prime Minister must unlock the UK’s full renewable power potential by removing the unfair planning barriers to onshore wind and scrapping the limit which restricts the quantity of solar and onshore wind projects that the government will support.”
3. Saying no to new expensive, polluting fossil fuel development
Over the next few weeks, the new administration is due to make a number of energy-related decisions that will have long-term repercussions for the UK’s economy and the battle against climate change.
It has been reported in some news sources Truss is in favour of fracking. But – WMFOE said – the practice would blight local communities and has been deeply unpopular with local communities where drilling has taken place or been planned.
The group said it would not have a meaningful impact on the UK’s energy security or energy bills – a point highlighted by Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng.
The Conservative’s election manifesto also said the party ‘would not support fracking unless the science showed categorically that it could be done safely’.
A report by the British Geological Survey has been submitted to the government, and a decision is imminent.
4. Produce a lawful Net Zero Strategy
Following a legal challenge by Friends of the Earth, ClientEarth and the Good Law Project, the High Court ruled in July the current Net Zero Strategy was unlawful because it did not meet the government’s obligations under the Climate Change Act to produce detailed climate policies that show how the carbon budgets will be met.
Under the ruling, the government will have to update its climate strategy to include a quantified account of how its policies will achieve climate targets, based on a realistic assessment of what it actually expects them to deliver.
The government’s own advisors, the Climate Change Committee, said in June 2022 that there were only credible plans for 39 per cent of the emission cuts needed.
The campaign group said the court had ruled the government must lay before parliament a report that complies with its legal obligations no later than March 31, 2023. The new prime minister will need to instruct the new Cabinet to come forward with plans to ensure the redrafted Net Zero Strategy is fit for purpose.
5. Restore Nature
Climate change isn’t the only environmental challenge facing the new prime minister.
WM FOE said a nature recovery strategy was needed to enable the UK to go to the long delayed international biodiversity talks taking place later this year in Canada, chaired by China.
The government has made bold statements about protecting 30 per cent of UK land for nature but, WMFOE claims, did not have credible plans to do so.
It added its draft targets for nature – due to be set under the Environment Act by October 31 – had been criticised by the new Office for Environmental Responsibility as insufficient.
Chris Crean from West Midlands Friends of the Earth, said: “The cost-of-living crisis and the climate emergency are the biggest and intertwined challenges facing the new prime minister.
“Despite her stated pledge to meet the UK’s legally binding climate targets, Liz Truss’ support for unleashing a new wave of oil and gas developments threatens to drive a coach and horses through these commitments.
“More fossil fuel developments will take years to come on stream, have no effect on rocketing energy bills and pump more planet-heating pollution into the atmosphere at a time when we need to be drastically reducing emissions.
“Lifting barriers to onshore wind and solar projects would help unlock the UK’s huge potential for renewable energy – now nine times cheaper than gas – helping to tackle both the climate and cost of living crises.”
Click here for a more detailed look at WMFOE’s priorities for the next Prime Minister.
