Kemi Badenoch has pledged to scrap the Climate Change Act. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

Net Zero Watch press release

03 October 2025

RIP the UK climate consenus (2008-2025)

The headlines

UK

  • Badenoch: time to scrap the Climate Change Act

  • Green Tories support calls to reform the Act

  • Union boss calls for Miliband to be sacked

  • UK energy prices are the highest in the world for the second year running

International

  • Ex-NATO Chief: the West is too dependent on China

  • China moves into plug-in hybrids to dodge EU tarrifs

  • OPEC: global oil demand to surge 23% by 2050

Etcetera

  • Media, op-eds and all the rest.

From the blog

  • The end of the Net Zero consensus

  • Energy bills latest: the Westminster penalty

UK

Badenoch: scrap the Climate Change Act

Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the Conservative Party, has called to scrap Britain’s flagship climate change law if the Conservatives regain power. The Tory leader is vowing to repeal the “failed” Climate Change Act 2008, which sets legally binding targets to make the UK a net-zero carbon emitter by 2050. It would pave the way for the Tories to scrap electric car targets, as well as plans to phase out gas boilers and replace them with heat pumps. Also watch Claire Coutinho’s interview on the party’s new policy here.

Green Tories support calls to reform the Act

Sam Richards, a former adviser to Boris Johnson, has called for the Climate Change Act to be reformed. Richards’ u-turn is echoed by Sam Hall, a former adviser to Michael Gove and director of the Conservative Environment Network, and Seb Payne, a former Director of Onward, a Tory think tank that has partnered with the European Climate Foundation. All argue that Miliband is harming the cause of climate action.

Union boss calls for Miliband to be sacked

Sir Keir Starmer must sack Ed Miliband over his approach to net zero, the boss of the Unite union has demanded. Sharon Graham called the Energy Secretary’s net zero plan a “disaster” and accused him of being “completely irresponsible” with Britain’s energy security.

UK energy prices are the highest in the world for the second year running

Ed Miliband’s net zero targets are facing fresh scrutiny after Britain was found to be paying the highest electricity prices in the developed world. New data showed the price paid by UK industry for power was 63pc higher than in France and 27pc higher than in Germany. Britain is also the second-most expensive country in the world for household electricity, with billpayers paying twice as much as those in the US.

International

Ex-NATO Chief: the West is too dependent on China

Rob Bauer, the former Chairman of NATO, says we are completely dependent on China for all the raw materials for renewable energy. “If Xi closes the valve of those raw materials, we will not have light, no heating, we will not drive, and we will have no production at all,” he warns.

China moves into plug-in hybrids

China’s Dongfeng Motor Group is switching to plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, full hybrids and even gasoline models to offset the EU’s additional tariffs on Chinese-built batter-electric vehicles that went took effect last November.

OPEC: global oil demand to surge 23% by 2050

Global oil demand is projected to rise significantly, reaching 378 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2050, representing a 23 percent increase from the current level of 308 million barrels of oil equivalent per day, according to OPEC.

Etcetera…

Maurice wrote for The Critic that Net Zero is weakening the West. He also wrote for Conservative Home on James Cleverly’s recent comments to the BBC about the benefits of renewable energy.

Harry appeared on Talk TV to discuss Ed Miliband’s pledge to “ban” fracking forever in the UK.

Peter Lilley, one of the original five Climate Change Act rebels, has welcomed Kemi Badenoch’s pledge to abolish the Act. Read his comments here.

From the blog

Thu, Oct 2

The end of the Net Zero consensus

Kemi Badenoch’s call to scrap the Climate Change Act matters far more than the headlines suggest.

The Westminster consensus on energy and climate policy - which has been unchallenged for 17 years - is

 Read More 

Tue, Sep 30

Energy bills latest: the Westminster penalty

Fresh IEA/DESNZ data confirms the UK has the highest industrial electricity prices in the world. Just as striking, it shows we are middle of the pack for gas prices.

That finding blows apart the story

 Read More 

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