Outgoing climate chief ‘disappointed’ with Tory-Labour net-zero plan
Tory politician Lord Deben, who has resigned as leader of the Climate Change Committee (CCC), has warned that both his Conservative colleagues in Westminster and Keir Starmer’s ambitions to become the next government are not taking the climate crisis seriously enough.
Lord Deben was asked on Times Radio if he was “surprised” by the lack of enthusiasm for the climate crisis from both main parties in Westminster, given the scale of the challenge to tackle it.
Read more: Climate adviser: UK ‘undermined’ progress of COP26 with oil extraction.
In response, Lord Deben said: “Well I don’t think I’m surprised, I’m just extremely disappointed and increasingly concerned because it feels like it’s a priority.”
“There is nothing more important than making the world safe for our children.
“And indeed I may be quite old now but it assures me because things are changing so fast that we’re making the world a place where we can’t live in the way we used to.” have done .”
Lord Deben stressed that “we must act very quickly” but insisted that “it can be done”.
He added: “It’s still within our reach, as the Climate Change Committee told the Prime Minister: You can get back on track if you act now and don’t wait for the next election.”
Lord Deben said the Prime Minister had “again campaigned for the money to go to developing countries” so that they “can invest directly in renewable energy”.
Read more: Rishi Sunak is reportedly looking to scrap his £11.6 billion climate and nature pledge
He added, “The last thing we want is for them to go through the oil and gas phase.”
“This is a very big signing. But there is still a lot more to do.”
Rishi Sunak was reportedly ready to drop a £11.6 billion pledge to help developing countries tackle the climate crisis.
Lord Deben also issued a warning to his immigration-concerned Conservative colleagues in Westminster that failure to deal with the climate crisis will only exacerbate the problem.
Estimates assume that up to 1.2 billion people could be displaced worldwide by 2050 due to the climate crisis and natural disasters.
Lord Deben said: “I would say to the people who are most concerned about migration: you haven’t seen anything.”
“When it is too hot to live in these countries, people will not move to improve their lives, but to have a life of their own.
“So unless we act very urgently, we’re going to have a world completely devastated by climate change.”
Read more: What Scotland can learn from Dutch North Sea innovators
The warning came as Labor’s shadow chancellor slammed the climate activists’ tactics, insisting she had “no time” for “Just Stop Oil”.
She added that the tactic of contesting sporting events was “a bit pathetic and pretty boring.”
She added, “If they want to fight climate change, engage in political responses, but they’re not building support for their cause, they’re doing the exact opposite.”
“So it’s counterproductive and frankly rude.
“People have paid to go to Wimbledon, it may be the only time in their lives that they come to Wimbledon, they don’t want to be disturbed by a crowd of protesters.”
