The Conservative Party’s proposal to repeal the UK’s 2008 Climate Change Act has drawn criticism from climate policy experts, who warn that such a move could undermine Britain’s position as a leader in global climate action.
Professor Sam Fankhauser, commenting on the announcement by Kemi Badenoch, said: "[Kemi Badenoch's] announcement that the Conservatives will repeal the 2008 Climate Change Act if they win the next general election has the potential to be a major own goal – politically, environmentally and economically."
The Climate Change Act was introduced by the Labour government but received strong support from the Conservative opposition at the time. The act set a statutory target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, initially aiming for an 80% cut from 1990 levels by 2050, later strengthened to net zero emissions by Theresa May’s government. Progress is tracked through five-year carbon budgets and overseen by the independent Climate Change Committee (CCC).
Fankhauser noted: "Yet the Climate Change Act has delivered, both in terms of process and substance. Indeed, the UK model has been emulated around the world. Nearly 60 countries have UK-style climate change laws and over 20 countries have CCC-style advisory bodies, cementing the UK’s position as a climate leader."
The article highlights that since 1990, UK greenhouse gas emissions have fallen by half, with emissions now at their lowest level since 1872. The shift away from coal and increased use of renewables are cited as key outcomes supported by this legislation.
A University of Oxford survey found that public support for climate action is much higher than policymakers assume, with three out of four people in the UK expressing concern about climate change.
According to Fankhauser: "Badenoch’s announcement comes just as households are starting to reap the financial benefits of clean technology. Colleagues and I have estimated that four out of five UK households, particularly those owning a car, would be better off if net zero was achieved. The typical savings are £100-£380 per household and year."
Although many households do not yet see lower energy bills due to earlier high investment costs in clean power, recent analysis indicates that renewables are now reducing electricity prices by up to a quarter.
Fankhauser argues that while debate on how best to achieve decarbonisation is necessary, it should occur within an agreed framework like that provided by the Climate Change Act: "Climate policy requires debate. Deeply political choices need to be made about different decarbonisation strategies, how to pay for necessary investments or the role of controversial technologies like nuclear energy. The past 17 years have shown that these debates are best had within an agreed framework, with support from all major parties. That is what the Climate Change Act provides."
He warns that undoing this legislation could damage investor confidence and harm Britain’s reputation for stable long-term planning: "But the reputational damage is immediate. Undoing the act would signal that the UK no longer values the long-term stability that has driven clean investment and made its climate policy admired around the world."
This article originally appeared in The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence.