Former prime minister Theresa May has hit back at Kemi Badenoch after the new Tory leader claimed achieving net zero by 2050 was “impossible”.
Launching a policy renewal as part of a major speech, Ms Badenoch drew a backlash from business leaders and former Tory ministers against her calls to unpick net zero policies.
The Tory leader claims that she was one of “just a handful” of MPs to raise concerns about the lack of a plan to hit the 2050 environmental targets when they were introduced by Baroness May’s government.
On Tuesday she went further, warning the targets are impossible to achieve – in a move which has received severe criticism.
Retorting that “net zero by 2050 is challenging but achievable”, Baroness May wrote on social media: “It is supported by the scientific community and backed by the independent Climate Change Committee as being not just necessary but feasible and cost-effective.
“We are already seeing the impact of climate change. From extreme weather events to supply chain disruption and increased climate-induced migration.
“With every additional increment of warming the risks of climate change increase significantly, and at an increasing rate. Delaying action will only harm the next generation and increase both the economic and social costs of climate change.”
Former Tory environment minister Chris Skidmore also took to social media platform X to highlight a speech made by Ms Badenoch in favour of net zero policies when she was business and trade secretary.
In questions after her speech, Ms Badenoch even floated the idea of dropping net zero altogether.
She said: “It may be that there’s a better way of delivering net zero – or it may be that we shouldn’t be looking at net zero but just focusing on clean energy and energy security, and there’s a different way of doing that.”
In a sarcastic post, Mr Skidmore pointed to her previous comments, saying: “Great speech by Kemi Badenoch on the economic importance of net zero and clean energy.”
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) also criticised her comments.
Rain Newton-Smith, chief executive of the CBI, said: “Now is not the time to step back from the opportunities of the green economy. Cross-party support for net zero has underpinned international investors’ confidence to choose the UK for investment in the energy transition. Last year, this resulted in the net zero economy growing by 10 per cent and adding £83bn to national income.”
Labour’s energy secretary Ed Miliband said the Tories were “off to the whacky races” over the shift in policy, adding that it was “anti-business, anti-growth, anti-jobs and the wrong choice for Britain”.
A Labour spokesperson added: “Kemi Badenoch claims she’s ready to ‘deal with reality’ while remaining in complete denial about the reality of the Tories’ appalling record in government.
“The Tory leader’s position is at odds with her own historic views. In government, she openly championed net zero. It’s clear the Conservatives stand for nothing and have learned absolutely no lessons. They haven’t changed.”
Environmentalists warned that Ms Badenoch’s intention to review net zero policies and undermine them would harm economic growth if the Conservatives win power again.
Greenpeace UK’s head of climate Mel Evans said: “The past few years have taught us the surest route to falling living standards is staying hooked on volatile, expensive and polluting fossil fuels.
“Throwing in the towel on our climate goals means giving up on making life better for British people now and in the future. With green industries growing three times faster than the rest of the UK economy, it also means giving up on the economic opportunity of the century.
“A strong majority of people in this country are concerned about the climate crisis and want to see government action. Now is not the time to step back, now is the time to take on the fossil fuel giants, end the great gas rip-off and make life easier for households across the country.”
In a preview of a speech, Ms Badenoch has called lower energy costs and environmental protection “noble aims” but warned that the policies are “largely failing” to improve nature and are raising energy prices.
She said: “We’re falling between two stools – too high costs and too little progress. Net zero by 2050 is impossible.
“I don’t say that with pleasure. Or because I have some ideological desire to dismantle it – in fact, we must do what we can to improve our natural world.”
She will claim that she is not making a “moral judgment” on net zero or debating whether climate change exists.
