Tories pledge to scrap landmark climate legislation

The Conservative Party has promised to scrap the UK's historic Climate Change Act and replace it with a scheme for "cheap and reliable" energy.

The 2008 Act, which set legally binding carbon quotas for lowering emissions, was introduced by the last Labour government and strengthened under Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May. Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader, said her party wanted to create "a safer environment for our children," but claimed Labour's policies had "tied us to red tape, loaded us with costs, and did nothing to reduce global emissions."

Environmental groups described the move as an act of "national self-harm," while Labour said it would be "an economic disaster and a complete betrayal of future generations."

The 2008 bill, passed when the current Energy Secretary Ed Miliband held the same role in Gordon Brown's cabinet, initially committed the UK to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 80% by 2050. In 2019, under Mrs May's premiership, this legally binding target was strengthened to "net zero" by 2050, meaning the UK must reduce emissions to a point where it removes as much carbon as it produces. The bill was passed with the support of all major parties at the time.

However, the political consensus on net zero has since fractured. Ms Badenoch has previously stated that the 2050 target is "impossible" for the UK to achieve and has promised to "maximise" the extraction of oil and gas from the North Sea. Reform UK has also stated that it will scrap net zero targets if it wins the next election, blaming the policy for higher energy bills and deindustrialisation.

The UK was the first country to establish a long-term, legally binding framework to cut carbon pollution, and many other nations have since introduced similar legislation. However, the Conservatives argued the Act compelled ministers "to make decisions to achieve arbitrary climate goals even though they hurt the British people, destroy jobs, and make our economy poorer."

"We want to leave a healthier environment for our children, but not by bankrupting the country," Ms Badenoch said. "Climate change is real. However, Labour's policies tied us to red tape, loaded us with unnecessary costs, and did not do anything to reduce global emissions. Previous Conservative governments attempted to make Labour's climate policies work, but they didn't succeed. We will scrap those failed goals under my leadership. Our top priority right now is growth, cheaper electricity, and protecting the natural landscapes that we all love."

In response, Ed Miliband said, "This desperate plan from Kemi Badenoch, if ever adopted, would be an economic disaster and a complete betrayal of future generations. The Conservatives are now threatening to scrap a framework that businesses fought for and that has attracted tens of billions of pounds of investment in homegrown British energy since it was introduced by a Labour government with Conservative support 17 years ago."

The Liberal Democrats also condemned the decision. "The truth is that investing in renewables is the best economic growth opportunity in this century and will safeguard the planet for future generations," said the party's energy and net zero spokesperson, Pippa Heylings.

Richard Benwell, chief executive of the Wildlife and Countryside Link alliance of environmental organisations, argued that "the true path to lasting energy security is in homegrown clean energy, not burning more fossil fuels. Without a binding climate agreement, ministers will be free to trade away our future, and the poorest groups will pay the price."