Are we all to blame? Rishi Sunak has hailed in the weekend with announcements of a U-turn on fulfilling the UK’s net-zero goals. But is public opinion responsible for the government’s “war on the climate?”
X
Next
UK slammed for U-turns on net-zero pledges
Are we all to blame? Rishi Sunak has hailed in the weekend with announcements of a U-turn on fulfilling the UK's net-zero goals. But is public opinion responsible for the government's "war on the climate?"
X
PreviousNext
There is a mass of ice five times the size of the UK missing from the Antarctic. In Greece, 17 people were killed as a result of intense rainfall in the first week of September as extreme weather conditions take hold of the MediterraneanA sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean. It has the shores of Europe on one and the shores of north Africa on the other, as well as shoreline in Asia. .
It is hardly time to take our eyes off the ball when it comes to climate change. With every year, the pressure mounts to cut emissionsThings that are released, such as gases, as part of a process. E.g. greenhouse gases. and do what we can to prevent global warming from escalating further.
Hence the surprise when UK prime minister Rishi Sunak announced a spateA series of things in quick succession. of policies this week that will threaten the UK's commitment to reaching net zeroWhen the gases going into the atmosphere are balanced by those being taken out of it. emissions by 2050.
The measures include delays to the ban on new petrol and diesel cars, which was set to come into place in 2030. Sunak also got rid of tougher efficiency rules for landlords and established a nine-year delay in the ban on new fossil fuel heating for off-gas-grid homes.
One hundred and forty countries have pledged to reach net zero, many of them by 2050. This should cover around 90% of global emissions. But whilst promises abound, working pro-climate policies are harder to come by.
Some think Sunak is justified in suggesting that the rules might be unfair. Some of the biggest emitters worldwide have hardly inched towards their net zero targets, including India and Russia, which had set deadlines of 2070 and 2060 respectively. Why should British consumers pay the cost?
But others point out the successes of other leading emitters such as the EU's recent huge green investment package and the US's game-changing investment in renewablesEnergy sources that do not use up non-renewable fossil fuels, such as wind and solar power. and clean technologies.
Some claim that Sunak's policies are only a reflection of the British public's backwards attitude to the economy and climate change. They think that Brits would rather seek economic gain in the short term than guarantee sustainability in the long term.
X
Previous
Are we all to blame?
Yes: The fact that Rishi Sunak is certain that these policies will be popular suggests that there is a broader public impatience towards pro-climate measures. We are in an economic pinch, and people are looking to fulfil their short-term interests.
No: These measures have even embroiled the Conservative party in a civil war. They are being described as the "greatest mistake" of Sunak's tenure. It is clear that they do not have widespread appeal.
Or... Reaching net zero does not just rely on policies conceived by the government. It also relies on our everyday choices when it comes to transport, diet and waste. We cannot expect the government to force us to make good choices.
Keywords
Mediterranean - A sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean. It has the shores of Europe on one and the shores of north Africa on the other, as well as shoreline in Asia.
Emissions - Things that are released, such as gases, as part of a process. E.g. greenhouse gases.
Spate - A series of things in quick succession.
Net zero - When the gases going into the atmosphere are balanced by those being taken out of it.
Renewables - Energy sources that do not use up non-renewable fossil fuels, such as wind and solar power.
UK slammed for U-turns on net-zero pledges
Anti-climactic: Some have claimed that Sunak’s climate U-turns could be the “greatest mistake of his premiership". Glossary
Mediterranean - A sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean. It has the shores of Europe on one and the shores of north Africa on the other, as well as shoreline in Asia.
Emissions - Things that are released, such as gases, as part of a process. E.g. greenhouse gases.
Spate - A series of things in quick succession.
Net zero - When the gases going into the atmosphere are balanced by those being taken out of it.
Renewables - Energy sources that do not use up non-renewable fossil fuels, such as wind and solar power.