Why is the Tory leadership running counter to business on net zero?
The reality is that the net zero transition is moving at too slow of a pace. Too often Britain talks itself down when it comes to industry but net zero is in an area where the country has an advantage.
Nascent technologies are being developed and harnessed on our shores. We should be proud of the companies that are at the vanguard of the green industrial revolution.
The answers don’t lie in protests or flip-flopping on policy. Rather they lie with the engine of the economy. An engine that should be geared up.
Business organisation Confederation of British Industry (CBI) is clear on the opportunities around the transition and the need for it.
Rain Newton-Smith, chief executive of the CBI, said: “Scrapping the Climate Change Act would be a backwards step in achieving our shared objectives of reaching economic growth, boosting energy security, protecting our environment and making life healthier for future generations.”
That begs the question, why is the Tory party headed in the opposite direction on climate change? The Conservatives were once known as the party of business, a steady hand at the wheel. Clearly, businesses no longer think that is the case and there seems little appetite amongst the Tory party leadership to change that.
This does not mean that the country should speed run towards net zero technology without due care and consideration. Productive farm land should not be sacrificed at the altar of solar power. Wind turbines shouldn’t be foisted on communities without their consent. And the transition needs to be just - creating jobs for those who will be impacted by the switch away from fossil fuels.
The post-war consensus helped Britain rebuild after the Second World War. There is a need for a political consensus, that looks beyond ideological dogma and populism, on delivering for the British economy while protecting the planet.