By Felix Von Der Geest and Rajan Sehmi
We face a stark reality. The IPCC report issued a “Code Red for Humanity” as the UN Chief put it. Many have sounded the alarm but nothing seems to be moving. With COP26 coming up in just a few months, many, including David Attenborough, feel this is “the last chance” to save our planet. Others such as Nigel Farage, dismiss this as “alarmism”. But in the long run It will be the youth of today who see the full impact of climate change. In this article, Felix and Rajan share their views on the UK government's climate strategy.
Rajan:
Boris Johnson has heavily advertised the government's new 10-point green plan in an attempt to wave away suggestions of dithering at the wheel. Speaking of wheels, the plan announces an outright "ban on combustion engine sales by 2030," aiming to leverage the electric car market with grants. Combustion engines are widely shunned for their emissions, and it was a relief to hear Greenpeace citing the "landmark announcement" as a "historic turning point on climate action", marking the "end of the road for polluting cars and vans".
Another policy that has met headlines is proclaiming to "quadruple offshore wind power," powering "every UK home" by 2030. Although the proposed costs are at a hefty £50bn, the government seek to raise £20bn through attracting private investment, creating 12,000 jobs. (RenewableUK)
In full, the proposed 10-point green plan is as follows: (via. Guardian)
A ban on combustion engine sales by 2030, with grants for electric cars, and funding for charge points. The sale of some hybrid cars and vans will continue until 2035.
A previously announced pledge to quadruple offshore wind power by 2030, to 40GW, enough to power every UK home.
Moves to boost hydrogen production, with the promise of a town heated entirely by hydrogen by the end of the decade.
Investment of £525m towards new nuclear power, based on "the next generation of small and advanced reactors".
£1bn next year for funds to insulate homes and public buildings, using the existing green homes grant and public sector decarbonisation scheme.
An extra £200m invested in carbon capture initiatives.
Support for greener energies in the aviation and maritime sectors, with £20m committed to the latter.
30,000 hectares of trees planted every year, as part of nature conservation efforts.
Moves to promote public transport, cycling and walking, although no new schemes were announced.
A pledge to make London "the global centre of green finance".
Away from the 10-point-plan, Sunak is the man, and it is refreshing to see a government that understands the importance of investment into research & development. Rishi Sunak's 'Future Fund: Breakthrough' is putting up £375m that aims to cultivate innovation across the nation. The government is looking to fund tech startups with focus on quantum computing, life sciences and clean technology. With the importance of green technology steadily rising, hopefully, we can reap the benefits brought on by surges in the industry's fiscal multiplier. The global green market is steadily growing; we need this push for green technology to compete in what will be a hotbed ten years into the future.
The hope is that these plans are a 'springboard' for huge investment into the UK, revamping a greener job market and a greener economy to follow. We now must see these plans put into place for success, which would weaken claims of pure 'speculation' than action. As the United Kingdom, we may be on target for a promising future; however, we are missing the mark as humanity. With the manufacturing powerhouses such as China not taking carbon into their pricing, and oil production still being an unsustainable resource (the primary source of carbon emissions), I am not sure how climate strategy can adapt. China and Oil companies may be too big to sanction.
Felix:
If you were going to pick anyone to deal with the impending climate and ecological emergency, Boris Johnson would probably be quite far down your list. But we shouldn’t fear, his 10 point plan is here and it’s accompanied with a 3 word slogan, Build Back Better. Unfortunately, I do fear and so do many others my age. It is the same old story with the Tories promising schemes and announcements, but no action. The fact is the Tories have been in office for over 10 years here are just some of their words with no action. A plan to require all new homes to be zero carbon from 2025 was about to be introduced before it was scrapped, a promised £1bn of funding for carbon capture and storage projects never materialised, the UK’s pioneering Green Investment Bank was sold off to the private sector, energy efficiency programmes were scrapped (sources here).
The Coalition Government did bring in new initiatives, such as a carbon tax and subsidies for solar and wind. But after the 2015 election we saw very little progress on climate policy. The fact is we are not just dithering at the wheel, we are asleep and heading towards a cliff of climate catastrophe. Many might read what I have written so far and exclaim, this is a new government, they shouldn’t be judged on past administrations. To respond to this, I would first mention this government is not particularly trustworthy. Johnson's tenureship has been mired by U-turns and flip flopping. During his time working on the Brexit campaign he notoriously made speeches and trips on the “brexit bus” which contained an obvious lie (it has been independently fact-checked many times.). In fact Johnson is an infamous liar see this website or Peter Stefanovic’s viral video for just a few examples. So what has the government done? The Guardian revealed in a recent article how tory politicians fought plans to tackle air pollution and how the treasury was blocking green policies key to reaching net zero by 2050.
Let's say after all that evidence, the government does enact this 10 point plan, I really hope they do. Firstly I would note it is slightly disingenuous to suggest that it is worth 12 billion as Alok Sharma the COP26 president noted the plan is only worth 4 billion in new money. Labour are promising a much more impressive 20 billion pound scheme. But I don’t want this to be a Labour vs Tory competition, this is much bigger than the next election. I just want to see as much done on climate change as possible to avert us from the danger. I think the Green MP Caroline Lucas puts it best, “This is a shopping list, not a plan to address the climate emergency, and it commits only a fraction of the necessary resources.” Rajan also quotes Greenpeace, what he fails to do is mention the 2nd part of that quote “It’s a shame the prime minister remains fixated on other speculative solutions, such as nuclear and hydrogen from fossil fuels, that will not be taking us to zero emissions anytime soon, if ever,”
I’d conclude by saying, we must see serious and bold policies and targets set by the government. The 10 point plan is not particularly bold but it is a start, if it is enacted. As mentioned I do have my doubts about the conservatives and green policy. Our time is running out and we cannot let our politicians fail us.
Conclusion:
The government's plans have divided many. If successful, some believe we will see a strong green economic market in the UK. However, the UK alone will never be enough to stop climate change. We need the multilateral support of nations and corporations to combat this paramount problem. Will we get that action? Unfortunately, with governments operating on campaigns, not futures, corporations fixated on profit margins, not sustainability and individuals powerless in making change, the unfortunate truth is a miserable one.
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