I welcome the increased debate on this issue and thank those constituents who brought it to my attention. However, due to prior diary commitments, I was unable to attend the drop-in event in Parliament hosted by Greenpeace on 11 September.
It is crucial that we recognise the importance and urgency of action needed on climate change. The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has concluded that the world is warming faster than anticipated, the effects of which are being seen in every single region of our planet. Immediate global action is needed to limit warming, heatwaves, heavy precipitation, droughts, and loss of Arctic Sea ice, snow cover and permafrost.
The debate on climate change has, unfortunately, been stuck between two extremes and we must acknowledge it is important to bring everyone with us as we forge ahead in eradicating the UK’s contribution to climate change. We can do this and still meet our international commitments whilst meeting pragmatic domestic targets that do not burden hardworking British households.
The UK was the first G7 country to legislate to achieve net zero by 2050, and the UK has made progress in cutting emissions faster than any other G7 country, having already reduced emissions by 50 per cent since 1992, compared to 41 per cent in Germany, and 23 per cent in France, as well as surpassing the targets most countries have set for 2030.
It is this over-delivery on reducing emissions that provides the space to take a more pragmatic, proportionate, and realistic approach to reaching net zero that continues to ensure our country's energy security. It is a pity that, instead, the Government is forging ahead with its pledge to decarbonise by 2030. This will lead to higher bills and increase our dependence on batteries and cables from China.
It is worth noting that the UK accounts for less than one per cent of global emissions and clearly global action is required. When the UK took on the COP26 Presidency, in partnership with Italy, only 30 per cent of the world was covered by net zero targets. Since COP26, the figure is around 90 per cent. Progress is being made to combat climate change but more must be done from those countries who contribute the most to carbon emissions.
While I believe achieving net zero by 2050 is feasible and consistent with avoiding the most damaging climate change, aiming for zero emissions by 2030 is almost certainly impossible, disruptive, not required by the science, economically unfeasible and risks undermining consensus. I urge the Government to commit to a fairer and more pragmatic path to achieving net zero that eases the financial burden on British families.
