In the final days before the UK election, Rishi Sunak insists that he can stay in power
Associated PressJun 25
The Facts
Overview: In 2022, the UK produced 319M tonnes of CO2 emissions, roughly 0.9% of global output. The Climate Change Act 2008 requires emission levels to be reduced by 80% by 2050, and the UK is a signatory of the 2015 Paris Agreement aiming to hold average global temperatures to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. In June 2019, the UK committed to reducing public sector building greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2037 and becoming net zero by 2050.
Current state: The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero estimates that UK territorial greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by 53% excluding and 50% including aviation and shipping between 1990 and 2023. However, according to a 2023 bipartisan research briefing by the House of Commons, while mitigation has "historically been the focus of much action, adaption is increasingly recognized as necessary to manage climate change." The Met Office projects that by the 2070s, hot summer days will become 3.8-6.8°C warmer, while heavy rainfall, surface water flooding, and thunderstorms will become more frequent and intense.
The Spin
Tory narrative
Sunak’s decision to scale back a host of ridiculous net zero policies is to be commended. While sticking to the UK’s legally-binding 2050 target, the prime minister is ensuring that climate measures are not implemented at the expense of increased financial burdens for struggling families. Sunak’s proportionate approach to environmental policy is a stark contrast to Labour and Starmer’s heavy-handed approach.
Labour narrative
Sadiq Khan's third successive victory in London is a fine example of Labour success built upon the foundations of a strong environmental focus, and this must be replicated on a national level. Starmer must be optimistic in his climate commitments in order to secure the support of the moderate and progressive voters who have been consistently ignored by the Tories for years.
Establishment-critical narrative
Government net zero policies and targets are a profound example of utopian state overreach. Both Conservative and Labour green plans are outrageously expensive and overly idealistic, while the financial pressures of these plans will come at a severe cost to the British public. Cheap energy is within the UK’s reach, but first the country must allow consumers and the markets to make their own choices instead of forcing a fanatical environmental agenda.
Progressive narrative
The UK is but one example within a scary trend of Western countries sacrificing the Earth’s future through rightwing populist policies. The current Conservative Party has ripped up the UK’s previously bipartisan environmental consensus in a desperate bid to save themselves from humiliation at the next general election. By continuing to kick the can down the road, the Tories are placing future generations in extreme danger.