Keighley and Ilkley

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I am writing to you about the announcement by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch that the UK's legally-binding commitment to be Net Zero by 2050 is 'impossible'.

I am shocked that a Conservative leader would undermine the UK's flagship climate policy—brought into law in 2019 under Theresa May's premiership—in this way. Previous Conservative governments laid out an environmental legacy that, they claimed, made the UK into a world leader by delivering a credible, legally-binding plan for net zero.

Now that plan is being ripped up by the party's leader.

Ms Badenoch's announcement that net zero by 2050 is impossible flies in the face of all the scientific and economic evidence and pre-empts her own policy review's findings.

The evidence from the Committee on Climate Change is clear: investing in Net Zero will generate UK annual savings of almost £40bn every year by 2050 (1), delivering lasting prosperity. Meanwhile, international business consultancy Deloitte reports that continued inaction will cost the world $178 trillion while accelerating net zero will deliver a $43 trillion benefit (2).

Numerous science and engineering experts say that stopping burning fossil fuels by electrifying everything will deliver big savings. 100% renewables is not just possible, it could also save nations like the UK over 60% on energy costs (3). Researchers at Oxford University are clear that the faster we move towards Net Zero, the more we'll save (4).

Why would Kemi Badenoch ignore these experts?

Rather than ripping apart net zero, we should be improving our existing laws—the Climate Change Act and The Environment Act—so that they are strong enough to deal with the accelerating impacts from the interconnected climate and nature crisis.

I am worried that Ms Badenoch's comments puts us all at risk.

Expert advisers to the insurance industry have warned (5) we're heading for "catastrophic societal and economic impacts" including 4 billion deaths by 2050 and a 50% collapse in global GDP by 2070. At the same time, the failure to protect nature has led the UK to become one of the most nature depleted (6) countries in the world. This has huge economic implications and could lead to a 12% reduction in UK GDP by 2030 (7).

For the UK to maintain our position as a world leader it is essential that we stay ahead of the curve rather than delay action—as a voter in your constituency, I would be hugely disappointed if the Conservatives pander to Reform's climate denying politics. Net Zero by 2050 (or earlier) makes business sense and more than this, it makes moral sense for generations to come.

As my MP, I would be very grateful if you could write to Kemi Badenoch and ask her to reconsider her position—repositioning net zero by 2050 at the core of a Conservative vision for a prosperous and secure future for the UK. Would this be possible?

Thank you so much for your consideration and I look forward to hearing from you.

(1) https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/the-seventh-carbon-budget/#:~:text=Our%20recommended%20level%20for%20the,the%20importance%20of%20the%20task

(2) https://www.deloitte.com/global/en/about/press-room/deloitte-research-reveals-inaction-on-climate-change-could-cost-the-world-economy-us-dollar-178-trillion-by-2070.html

(3) https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/3539703-no-miracle-tech-needed-how-to-switch-to-renewables-now-and-lower-costs-doing-it/

(4) https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2022-09-14-decarbonising-energy-system-2050-could-save-trillions-oxford-study

(5) https://actuaries.org.uk/media-release/current-climate-policies-risk-catastrophic-societal-and-economic-impacts/

(6) https://naturalengland.blog.gov.uk/2023/09/29/state-of-nature/&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1742316544838548&usg=AOvVaw1YzkymhKkWz2pi2iWQwWmG

(7) https://www.unep-wcmc.org/en/news/degradation-of-nature-could-reduce-uk-gdp-by-12-per-cent