The sky’s the limit for Boris Johnson as the Conservative Party swept to victory in the early hours … [+]
Green energy groups have called on Boris Johnson’s Conservatives to make good on their promises in the wake of a resounding general election victory for a party that campaigned on the slogan “Get Brexit Done.”
In spite of a high turnout for the opposition Labour party, the Conservatives were able to harness widespread resentment over the Brexit deadlock and the support of Britain’s powerful right-wing press to win 364 parliamentary seats, compared to Labour’s 203.
In a victory speech this morning, Johnson promised to make the UK “the cleanest, greenest country on earth with the most far-reaching environmental programme.” He went on, “You the people of this country voted to be carbon neutral by 2050, and we will do it.”
But for the renewable energy industry and environmental groups, the Tories’ chief policy concern—Brexit—is largely regarded as a costly distraction that takes political capital and resources away from a transition to a sustainable energy economy.
The Tories have claimed they will take the U.K.’s offshore wind generation capacity from a current … [+]
Reacting to the Conservative victory, Audrey Gallacher, director of policy for energy trade association Energy U.K., said: “While Brexit will continue to dominate the political agenda—and there will be important issues to now focus on as we look to the future relationship with Europe—we must also quickly break the hiatus in energy policy, therefore it is welcome to hear the continued commitment from the Prime Minister to delivering net-zero emissions by 2050.”
Trade body the Renewable Energy Association said in a statement: “The climate emergency is the biggest challenge that we face and this is the pivotal moment … we welcome the Conservatives’ commitment to achieve net-zero targets, as set out in their manifesto. However, to achieve this, the new government must be more ambitious and commit to wholesale systems change across energy, in particular for transport and waste, required to unleash the full potential of renewable energy and clean technology.”
Claire Mack, chief executive of Scottish Renewables, referred to the Tories’ manifesto promises, saying: “Scottish Renewables welcomed the Conservative Party’s manifesto commitments to deliver two million new jobs in clean energy over the next decade and to increase ambition for our world-leading offshore wind sector. However, our industry still lacks the clarity it needs to progress in key areas: onshore wind and large solar PVs access to the energy market, the future of renewable heat and a plan for small-scale renewables.”
An ice sculpture took the place of Boris Johnson during a climate change debate on the U.K.’s … [+]
The Conservative victory received a tepid response from environmental charities and concern groups, who are at best ambivalent about Johnson’s green credentials: the prime minister has in recent weeks proved difficult to pin down on the climate debate, having refused to take part in televised debates on the topic.
Summing up the prevailing mood, Greenpeace U.K.’s head of politics Rebecca Newsom said: “While the Conservative Party has started to recognise the environmental challenges ahead, Greenpeace’s manifesto ranking revealed their plans are still full of holes. From the party’s continued support for polluting infrastructure, their failure to guarantee a trade policy that protects environmental and human rights, and their weak protections against overfishing and destructive agriculture, the new government has a huge way to go in recognising the scale of action required and the transformative policy needed to deliver it.”
