UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak is said to be facing further pressure over his U-turn on net zero targets, after the head of the world’s energy watchdog said countries that water down green policies risked worsening the climate crisis and damaging their own economies.
The International Energy Agency (IEA), In its annual report hailed the gathering pace of the worldwide transition to cleaner energy, forecasting for the first time that demand for oil, gas and coal would peak before the end of the decade.
However, the report called on governments not to derail progress by weakening climate measures, warning that effects such as wildfires and flooding meant that “no country is an island”.
The UK PM was reported to have caused consternation among environmental campaigners and the automotive sector alike when he announced measures that included a delay to the phasing out of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030. The prime minister – who has vowed to end the “war on motorists” – set a new target of 2035.
However, the UK’s 2030 target is still included in a section of the IEA report listing policies that large economies have announced and must implement if global heating is to be slowed.
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Dr Fatih Birol, the director of the IEA was quoted as saying that while the U-turn would not affect his organisation’s global projects, countries that rowed back on climate promises would harm their own economies, as well as the planet.
“Governments are entitled to their policy choices,” he said. “But leaving aside … climate change and being a good citizen of the world, I believe the world is entering an era of clean energy technology manufacturing. They [governments] are competing with each other for pole position to create good jobs in modern industries.
Speaking further, he said “countries who are slowing down in terms of pushing clean energy may well have a disadvantage in terms of their competitiveness for the next chapter of industry.”
On his part, Ed Miliband, the shadow energy secretary said: “this report is further evidence that Rishi Sunak’s retreat from a clean energy future is wrong for Britain and will mean higher bills and less energy security.
“Shrinking from climate action will send the wrong message to the world just at the moment when the power of our example can show that clean energy means lower bills for families, energy independence for our country, more jobs, and will protect future generations.”
The IEA has designed a number of scenarios affecting the projected global temperature increase by 2100. Under the policies in place, it predicted a rise of 2.4C above pre-industrial levels, resulting in “very widespread and severe” effects.
Story was adapted from the Guardian.
