The UK’s political parties should commit to an “ambitious” programme of climate policies, including ramping up the country’s renewables capacity, according to a group of climate scientists.
The 408 members of the climate change research community published an open letter today in which they called on party leaders “to pledge to an ambitious programme of climate policies that accelerate action, in the UK and across the world, both to cut greenhouse gas emissions and to increase resilience to those impacts of climate change that cannot now be avoided”.
They added in the letter: “There is also compelling evidence that the investments required to accelerate climate change action in the UK will have widespread economic, social and health benefits.
“In particular, a reduction in the UK’s dependence on fossil fuels will improve the sustainability, affordability and security of energy supplies. For instance, a faster transition to clean domestic energy supplies will protect consumers from the volatility of international fossil fuel prices.
“Britain needs a government that learned from the energy crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which forced up the price of energy, damaging the economy, driving inflation and requiring the Government to spend an estimated £78bn, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility, on consumer subsidies that contributed to huge profits for some energy companies.”
The scientists called on the party leaders, including Conservative leader and PM Rishi Sunak (pictured), to make five specific pledges that include leading by example on climate change, including through the implementation of the decision at COP28, increasing funding for the developing world and acting on the advice of the Climate Change Committee.
The letter said the backing of the CCC should include its warning in its most recent Progress Report that “the UK will continue to need some oil and gas until it reaches Net Zero, but this does not in itself justify the development of new North Sea fields”.