A pledge made by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch to scrap a key piece of UK climate change legislation if her party wins the next general election has faced criticism from trade bodies and business leaders.
The opposition leader said the Climate Change Act 2008, passed by energy secretary Ed Miliband when he held the same role in ex-prime minister Gordon Brown’s government to mandate cuts to emissions, “stands in the way” of lowering energy prices and boosting the economy.
Speaking ahead of the Conservative conference which takes place in Manchester next week, she added: “It’s time to stop the deindustrialisation of Britain. We can protect our environment and preserve nature without crushing our economy.
“The Conservatives have a plan to make economic growth the priority, bring down energy bills and put more money in your pocket.”
RenewableUK deputy chief executive Jane Cooper said the net zero economy should be seen as a “driver for growth” rather than a brake.
She claimed this was backed by statistics from the CBI that show the drive for clean power supports nearly one million jobs including 55,000 in offshore wind.
“Investors would be disappointed to lose a framework which undoubtedly builds confidence that the UK will continue to develop clean technologies, at a time when the sector is growing far faster than the economy at large,” added Cooper.
“We’re confident that having honest and open debate about electricity costs would lead any government of any party to roll out new homegrown energy projects, including renewables which are cost-competitive with any other power source, as well as playing a vital role in strengthening the UK’s energy security.”
EnergyUK agreed that “treating the Climate Change Act as a political football” was a “surefire way” to deter funding in an energy sector which it said supported one in every 25 jobs in the UK and last year received £24bn investment.
“The energy sector has been the engine of growth for the UK, and safely delivers reliable power, 24 hours a day, across the country,” said EnergyUK CEO Dhara Vyas.
“But this relies on a shared political space in which we can agree on the end goal of a dependable, cheap, and increasingly clean energy system, while recognising there are different ways to achieve and fairly pay for this.
“The Climate Change Act has had an overwhelmingly positive impact on the UK and on business confidence. Pulling out the rug from under these critical investments will do nothing to lower energy bills.
“The only route to long term energy security, and to stabilising energy prices for homes and businesses, is through a pragmatic transition to clean energy.”
Renewable Energy Association CEO Trevor Hutchings warned that repealing the law would be “an act of economic self-sabotage” that would make the UK a less attractive place to invest.
“Anyone who is serious about bringing down energy costs should be focused on reducing our dependence on volatile foreign gas, which won’t happen by tearing up settled law and injecting uncertainty into Britain’s world leading renewable energy sector,” he added.
Solar Energy UK also hit out at the “reckless” proposal, which it said would “lock” the country into more expensive energy prices.
Director of policy and delivery Gemma Grimes said: “Solar power is now the cheapest source of electricity in the UK. In contrast, our ongoing dependence on fossil fuels has pushed up the price of power and heating.”