When it comes to Net Zero, as far as industry figures are concerned the Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch MP was simply spouting hot air
Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch MP has a reputation for ruffling feathers, and she put the cat among the pigeons with her comments on the national effort to decarbonise our society and economy.
“Net zero by 2050 is impossible,” the MP for North West Essex said in a speech this week, presented to launch the Conservative Party’s Policy Renewal Programme.
She added: “I don’t say that with pleasure. I want a better future and a better environment for our children. But we have to get real. Anyone who has done any serious analysis knows it cannot be achieved without a significant drop in our living standards or worse, by bankrupting us.”
There are certainly challenges in achieving Net Zero by 2050. Technically, logistically, socially and economically, the hurdles are great but not insurmountable, as many an analysis and industry debate has argued.
There are concerns over a just transition to a net zero carbon economy, too, so that the poorest households don’t bear a disproportionate burden.
However, Badenoch’s point has not gone unchallenged. In a detailed rebuttal – fact check – published in Carbon Brief, Simon Evans said the Opposition leader offered no evidence for her assertions.
“In the longer term – and contrary to what Badenoch implies in her speech – the transition to clean energy is widely expected to cut household energy costs,” he said.
The built environment sectors, acknowledged as a major source of carbon emissions, is at the forefront of this kind of debate. Struggling with its own challenges to decarbonise and fulfil its commitments, such views are clearly disheartening.
As Simon McWhirter, deputy chief executive of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC), said: “It’s hard not to receive this sort of news with equal measures of frustration and disbelief.”
The nation has already started doing the “hard yards” of innovating to help deliver a net zero future, he said. Indeed, he argues, meeting the target is “absolutely essential” to improve the economy, our homes, and our living standards.
“Far from harming people, this is about looking at how we can improve everyone’s quality of life, while ratcheting down our impact on the planet,” McWhirter added.
“The growth opportunity for British innovators and business, if we grasp the nettle early, was espoused heavily in Conservative government’s own Mission Zero report, while recent analysis by the Confederation of British Industry has shown the net zero sector is growing three times faster than the overall UK economy.
“So, net zero is already in train, and our members and the built environment industry are fully behind it, and it’s widely documented that the longer we delay, the costs increase vastly.
On the social justice aspect, he added: “We do agree that it’s essential that as we shift towards a net zero future that we do so in a fair way, and we need to shape the policies to ensure there are no unjust social impacts.
“But it’s eminently possible; as has been demonstrated with the design of the proposed Warm Homes Stamp Duty – where environmental improvements in our homes are rewarded with a tax rebate when they’re sold, but people in the most vulnerable situations are protected from the costs.”
Timely reminder
RICS said the Opposition leader’s comment is a reminder of the “urgency of our global response to the climate emergency”.
In its Sustainability Report 2024, RICS says that demand for greener buildings is rising, growing by 54% last year across homes, offices and industrial property. Furthermore, spiralling energy costs “confirm” why energy-efficient buildings “aren’t just nice to have”, the organisation says, adding that net zero can be a catalyst for economic growth.
Robert Toomey, RICS’ senior public affairs officer, said: “Policymakers must provide clarity and certainty around its ambitions to meet Net Zero so that the industry has the confidence to rapidly get retrofit moving.
“We cannot shy away from the huge retrofit burden that persists in the UK. Millions of existing homes are not fit for purpose. Surveyors are essential to meet this challenge and stand ready to help.
“RICS urge the UK government to continue on the path towards Net Zero and ensure that surveyors and other built environment professionals can support the urgent need for climate mitigation and adaptation. There is no time to waste – we must pick up the pace.”
Charlotte Lee, chief executive of industry body, the Heat Pump Association (HPA) argued that Net Zero is a practical pursuit, not an article of faith, and it is damaging to regard it as the latter.
“During a time of significant progress, market growth and investment in the UK to reduce carbon emissions, this speech risks undermining confidence in the market, without providing an alternative plan,” she said.
“Net Zero is an outcome, not an ideology, which should not be used to divide us, and which will only be achieved through collaboration, consensus and certainty. Reducing our carbon emissions will not only be better for the planet but also the UK’s economy with the CBI reporting net zero economy growth by 10% and adding £83bn to national income last year.
“[Badenoch’s] speech has misrepresented the CCC’s objectives for heat pumps, it has never been suggested that consumers should ‘rip out’ working fossil fuel heating systems, rather promoting, through the natural cycle of replacement and new installations, that low carbon heating systems are installed.
“Of course, this transition must be carefully navigated, ensuring consumers are protected from excessive cost and receive quality products and installations, and an inordinate amount of work is being done by the government and the sector to ensure this is the case.
“Business confidence rests not just on what the current government says, but on the consensus across all major parties on climate action.”
She added: “We urge the Conservative Party to reconsider its approach to Net Zero policy, and work with the government to develop a cross-party, politically palatable roadmap to achieving Net Zero which can be supported by all. This will shore up confidence in the supply chain and result in sustained levels of economic growth during a time of significant importance for the sector.”
No time for doubts
Russell Dean, deputy divisional manager at manufacturer, Mitsubishi Electric said: “Claiming that net zero is ‘impossible’ by 2050 is disappointing. Statements like this can cast doubt on policy at a time when businesses and consumers need certainty and clear direction in order to invest and make changes to help reach decarbonisation targets.
“Demand for renewable technologies like heat pumps is in fact rising to record levels, and the CCC’s Seventh Carbon Budget recognises that accelerating heat pump adoption will play a crucial role in achieving net zero by 2050. This means now is the time for the government to show clear commitment to the existing net zero goals, and give industry and consumers the confidence they need to make the switch.
“Reaching net zero is possible, and decarbonisation and economic growth go hand-in-hand. The CBI reported that ‘the net zero economy has become a powerhouse of job creation and economic expansion’.
“The demand for renewable heating and heat pumps can grow further. By reducing levies on low carbon electricity in comparison to high carbon gas so that prices are more competitive, and by providing greater clarity on the Future Homes and Building Stands, government will encourage households to switch to heat pumps and businesses to accelerate investment in the renewable heating sector.”
As for the CBI, the organisation’s chief executive, Rain Newton-Smith said: “Now is not the time to step back from the opportunities of the green economy. Cross-party support for net zero has underpinned international investors’ confidence to choose the UK for investment in the energy transition. Last year, this resulted in the net zero economy growing by 10% and adding £83bn to national income.
“Achieving net zero by 2050 provides opportunities for green growth – and it can only be delivered by creating the conditions to sustain high levels of private investment. This includes governments committing to the long-term policy certainty established by UK carbon budgets.
“It also includes tackling electricity prices as firms in the UK pay more to power their business than anywhere in the world. Proportionately rebalancing costs as part of wider reforms, increasing renewable contract-lengths and extending reliefs to support industrial transition are critical at the forthcoming spending review to forge a path to greener, secure and more affordable energy.”
So, that’s Kemi Badenoch told, then; if she’s listening.
Main image: Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch launches the Conservative Policy Renewal Process. Photo by Jacob Groet / CCHQ
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