Follow E3G’s assessment of party policies on net zero and the energy transition as manifestos are released.
On Monday 17th June, Reform UK released their manifesto.
Ed Matthew, Campaigns Director at the independent climate and energy think tank E3G said:
“Nigel Farage’s pitch to obliterate net zero investment would damage the UK’s economic recovery and keep UK households hooked on high-cost gas. Net zero is the economic opportunity of the century. Farage is a climate change denier, in the pocket of fossil fuel vested interests, and he has presented a ‘contract’ to bankrupt Britain and condemn future generations to climate catastrophe.”
On steel, Laith Whitwham, Senior Policy Advisor on Industrial Policy, said:
“It is ludicrous to suggest net zero has damaged the UK steel industry. The sector has been in decline since the 1970s. The inconvenient truth for Farage is that net zero is the salvation for the steel industry. What is missing is a net zero industrial strategy and the public investment needed to make the UK a leader in green steel.”
On Reform’s plan to increase taxes on renewable energy, Chris Galpin, Policy Advisor at E3G said:
“These proposals would put the UK in Putin’s pocket. British renewables are the best way to lower energy bills and boost our national security. The UK has the potential to be a clean energy superpower. We need to accelerate renewable investment if we want to be a global leader on a par with China, Germany and the USA.”
On Thursday, 13th June the Labour Party released their party manifesto.
Ed Matthew, Campaigns Director at the independent climate and energy think tank E3G said:
“UK dependence on fossil fuels has driven the cost-of-living crisis and undermined our energy security. This manifesto will kick start a mission for energy independence and economic renewal, with net zero investment at its heart. Labour has recognised that upgrading our homes will be key; and we welcome the £13.2bn investment boost, and reinstatement of higher efficiency standards in the private rented sector. This manifesto gives hope that the UK’s leadership in tackling the climate crisis will finally be restored.”
Read threads unpacking energy and green finance from Juliet Phillips and Heather McKay:
Welcome pledges from Labour on warmer homes:
🏡 £13.2bn for retrofit (£6.6bn on top of current commitments); as well as ECO (extra £5bn)
👨🔧Higher energy efficiency for private rented homes by 2030
💰Home upgrade loan to make clean tech afforablehttps://t.co/VpWKq2Xv75— Juliet Phillips (@_JulietPhillips) June 13, 2024
The @UKLabour Manifesto is out – together with Keir Starmer’s Spring/Summer lookbook.
Besides a vital commitment to champion #BrandScotland 🏴(it’s so hard to be this popular) – it’s solid on the role that #netzero plays in UK growth 🧵 pic.twitter.com/yzg2TGjMXP
— Heather McKay (@iM_OcKay) June 13, 2024
On Wednesday, 12th June the Green Party released their party manifesto.
Ed Matthew commented in the BBC on why all parties should prioritise climate action, as the economic growth engine of the future and pathway to lowering bills and boosting energy security:
“It’s been interesting to see how the climate change issue has played out in this election. On the one hand the conservatives launched their manifesto yesterday, which was by far the most unambitious manifesto we’ve ever seen from the Conservative party on climate action – they didn’t centre it in terms of their economic mission, and in doing so they’re risking losing out on a massive economic opportunity.
Reform, who are playing about 12% in the polls, have been very anti-action on net zero and want to scrap the targets despite the fact that most of the people who support Reform actually support ambitious action on climate change, according to the polls.
Labour and the Lib Dems have been much more ambitious, we will get the detail from Labour’s manifesto tomorrow but they have so far set out an ambitious target on power sector decarbonisation and set up GB Energy, a state investment vehicle to speed up the transition to a low carbon economy.
So the opposition parties are definitely on the whole ambitious – except for reform – and that’s exactly what we need, as it’s not just about dealing with the climate crisis. If we don’t get on the front foot we are going to become economic laggards in the world, because other regions and countries like the US, Europe, China are forging ahead on this transition. If we don’t make it a primary economic mission for this country we are going to lose jobs, we are going to be less competitive, and not have the tax revenue we need to repair our public services.”
Ed Matthew, Campaigns Director at the independent climate and energy think tank E3G said:
“The manifesto is utterly devoid of new pledges to supercharge the net zero economy and is the most unambitious on climate action yet. Rishi Sunak has turned his nose up at the economic opportunity of the century. This failure will keep households hooked on high-cost oil and gas and undermine our energy security. It is a manifesto for economic decline.”
Heather McKay, E3G Senior Policy Advisor in sustainable finance; Chris Galpin, E3G Policy Advisor in housing and energy; and Laith Whitwham, E3G Senior Policy Advisor on industry decarbonisation, reacted on X:
Today’s @Conservatives manifesto showed that the Tories have continued to ignore business calls for a plan for green growth. No plan means less investment and a worse future for Britain
— Heather McKay (@iM_OcKay) June 11, 2024
Despite rhetoric about keeping bills down – @Conservatives manifesto recommits only existing £6bn for home insulation and pledge to upgrade 1 million homes, vs £13.2bn and 5 million homes target from @UKLabour #GeneralElection
— Chris Galpin (@ChrisGalpinE3G) June 11, 2024
Ironic that Tory #manifesto launch started w/ Ben Houchen praising growth in Teesside (driven by low carbon industry), given the manifesto snubs net zero and has no new policies to scale up clean tech.
The next gov needs to harness the economic opportunity of the century.
— Laith K. Whitwham (@LaithWhitwham) June 11, 2024
Read a full analysis of green finance in the manifesto in this thread from Heather McKay:
I have to say that I’m disappointed by @RishiSunak today. It’s not so long since he was spearheading global change at #COP26 with a wee green box by committing to deliver the world’s first Net Zero Aligned Financial Centre, and kickstarting global Transition Plan fever🧵 pic.twitter.com/GsANy3j4tF
— Heather McKay (@iM_OcKay) June 11, 2024
And Juliet Phillips unpacks the Conservatives’ lack of progress on energy security in this thread:
The Tory manifesto makes no progress energy security.
They claim we must ‘choose between clean energy & keeping citizens safe + warm’. Clean energy LOWERS bills. Gas dependency risks the lights going out, with international events having the potential to send bills rocketing.
— Juliet Phillips (@_JulietPhillips) June 11, 2024
On Monday, 10th June the Liberal Democrats released their party manifesto.
Ed Matthew, Campaigns Director at the independent climate and energy think tank E3G said:
“Polling has consistently shown that the British public wants political parties to make ambitious pledges to tackle the climate crisis and use this as an opportunity to revitalise the economy. This manifesto includes some ambitious commitments to supercharge the transition to net zero, including free insulation and heat pumps for low-income households and centering green investment in their long-term plan for the UK economy. This should start a race to the top on climate policies that bring down energy bills and boost energy security. Any party that fails to put climate action at the heart of its pitch to voters risks severe electoral backlash.”
Juliet Phillips, E3G Programme Lead, Energy Transition, reacted on X:
Good to see the @LibDems set out a comprehensive set of measures on home upgrades & energy bill support – including energy efficiency standards in the private rented sector, a social tariff, and lowering electricity prices https://t.co/7l32GxG1QK pic.twitter.com/OVEqGJoFqC
— Juliet Phillips (@_JulietPhillips) June 10, 2024
Heather McKay, E3G Senior Policy Advisor in sustainable finance unpacked the Liberal Democrats’ position on net zero in the following thread:
It’s Manifesto week 🚨 and I’ll be sharing deepdives on what UK Political Parties are saying about investing in Britain’s greatest economic opportunity, and financial stability threat: Net Zero. First up: the @LibDems : 🧵 (1) pic.twitter.com/dKVR3SAWlp
— Heather McKay (@iM_OcKay) June 11, 2024
Available for comment
E3G is following the UK General Election closely. If you have questions about energy, sustainable finance and place-based transitions in the election our UK team is available for comment:
Nick Mabey – E3G co-CEO
UK foreign policy, climate diplomacy, security and geopolitics
nick.mabey@e3g.org
Ed Matthew – E3G Campaigns Director
Energy and climate across UK politics and policy
+44 7827 157 906, ed.matthew@e3g.org
Kate Levick – E3G Associate Director and Co-Head of the Transition Plan Taskforce Secretariat
International and UK sustainable finance, public and private sector finance, climate disclosure, transition planning, financial regulation
+44 (0) 7860 861225 | kate.levick@e3g.org
Heather McKay – Senior Policy Advisor, Finance and Resilience
UK sustainable finance, UK Net Zero Investment Plan
+44 7955 597676, heather.mckay@e3g.org
Juliet Phillips – Programme Lead, Energy Transition
UK energy, housing, clean heat, power, industry and oil and gas
+44 7548 097 061, juliet.phillips@e3g.org
Susanna Elks – Senior Policy Advisor, Energy Transition
UK power decarbonisation, electricity, market design, consumer impact, energy system governance
+44 7577 110 942, Susanna.Elks@e3g.org
Beth Walker – Senior Policy Advisor, Energy Transition
UK fossil fuel phase out (oil and gas) and international energy diplomacy
+44 7827 968038, beth.walker@e3g.org
Laith Whitwham – Senior Policy Advisor, Energy Transition
UK industrial transition and CCS, decarbonising steel, cement and carbon-intensive manufacturing generally
+44 7808 045786, Laith.whitwham@e3g.org
For general enquiries email press@e3g.org or phone +44 (0)7783 787 863.
