Labour shadow climate change and net-zero secretary, Ed Miliband, has accused those in the running to succeed prime minister Boris Johnson of “running away” from the UK’s target of hitting Net-Zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Net-Zero has been enshrined into law since 2019, meaning the government is legally bound to do all it can to achieve the 2050 target.
The remaining Conservative leadership hopefuls - which include Rishi Sunak, Penny Mordaunt, Liz Truss and Kemi Badenoch – have all committed to Net-Zero but have highlighted concerns around costs amid rampant inflation.
This has prompted Miliband to accuse the candidates of moving away from the promise, adding that their tax and energy policies did not suggest any were “serious about the situation” of the climate emergency.
The Labour shadow minister hit out at frontrunner Rishi Sunak for being a “foot-dragger” on the pledge, and criticised Mordaunt for her plans to scrap green levies. Miliband also attacked Truss’ plans to reinitiate fracking in the UK, and former equalities minister Kemi Badenoch for having said that Net-Zero commitment was akin to “unilateral economic disarmament.”
Miliband’s criticism came as the UK experienced soaring summer temperatures, with Tuesday yielding the highest UK temperatures ever recorded.
In his final cabinet meeting as PM, Boris Johnson said that aiming for Net-Zero was the “right thing” and his successor should commit to the pledge.
Johnson said: “Who can doubt that we were right to be the first major economy to go for net zero?
“It may be sometimes unfashionable to say this but it is the right thing to do.”
Transport secretary Grant Shapps has also talked down the idea that any new prime minister would renege on the target.
He said: “In fairness to the other candidates, everybody is saying we need to meet that 2050 target.
“Of course there's some legitimate debate about how your get there, quite rightly as well, particularly in a cost of living squeeze. But I think it's undeniable - and a day like today rather proves the point, doesn't it - that if you don't tackle these things then the economic and social cost is going to be even greater still. So, we have to do it.”
Cabinet minister Alok Sharma, who presided over the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow last year, has previously suggested that he would resign if Johnson’s successor abandoned the Net-Zero goal.
However, while it is uncertain how the UK will mobilise to hit its target under the next PM, the Conservative Environment Network [CEN] has suggested following a hustings that all the candidates “largely understand the strength of public and parliamentary support for environmental action and the strong economic and security case for achieving Net-Zero", after the remaining candidates committed to the pledge.
CEN director Sam Hall said: “Despite the hopes of a few siren voices, the Conservative leadership race is focused on how - not if - to decarbonise the UK's economy and restore nature.”
