How do we combat anti net zero rhetoric?

“People in the real world are disgusted by the Energy Secretary’s obsessive pursuit of net zero” , said John Lamont MP, Conservative member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk at Prime Minister's questions on 14th May. But what gives? Five years ago, tackling the climate crisis was a common consensus shared by all mainstream political parties, yet the last month has come to show that this is no longer the case, but why is this and what can we do to stop it?

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In Britain, right-wing Reform UK was the first party to call on the government to scrap its targets of reaching net zero by 2050 and in March, the Conservative party followed suit. They argue that this will prevent energy costs rising and improve economic growth, with Reform UK pledging to tax the renewable energy sector, a stark contrast to Labour’s policy of removing all fossil fuels from UK electricity production by 2030. 

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Despite these claims, there's lots of evidence to support that renewable energy is a  cheaper method to power our communities, with the global average cost of electricity generation from a renewable generator over its lifetime (including building and operating costs) decreasing by 88% for solar panels, 68% for offshore wind and 60% for onshore wind. This makes renewable energy sources the natural choice for combatting not only climate change, but rising energy costs too. With more investment in renewable energy comes more jobs, therefore benefiting the economy also. The net zero sector employed 951,000, full time workers according to Confederation of British Industry’s “The Future is Green” report.

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However, it's not only the right that is peddling the anti net zero rhetoric, as at the end of April former Prime Minister Tony Blair released a report through his institute saying current net zero targets are “doomed to fail,” calling for the government to focus on carbon capture rather than renewable energy. However, increasing carbon capture allows a “carry on as usual” narrative, rather than focusing on reaching our climate goals. Blair also claims that net zero is losing the support of the public, which is false, 70% of UK adults still support the government's net zero targets.

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‍So, what can we do about this misinformation and twists of the truth? In my opinion, the best way to combat this is through quality climate education. Young people are still missing out on vital information about the climate crisis, and 51% of secondary school teachers saying that climate change, the ecological crisis and the challenges posed by these issues are not embedded in their school curriculum in their subject in a meaningful and relevant way. To help us ensure everyone receives quality climate education, and truly understands the challenges and solutions to the crisis, sign our petition for quality climate education: https://www.teachthefuture.uk/action/petition