Shadow energy secretary criticises net zero targets

Shadow energy secretary Claire Coutinho has criticised Labour’s net zero targets, claiming they are detrimental to the UK’s economy. In an interview with Sky News’ Trevor Phillips, Coutinho linked the government’s climate targets to the ongoing cost of living crisis. She stated, “We’ve said we would repeal the climate change target, and we actually think the net zero targets are a problem.”

Her comments follow Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch’s pledge to scrap the Climate Change Act, which established the framework for reducing emissions to net zero by 2050 and adapting the UK to climate impacts. Coutinho added that the targets are “making the cost of electricity incredibly expensive” and causing jobs to move to “countries abroad,” worsening climate emissions. She argued, “Every time a business leaves here for a country powered by coal, you’re worsening climate emissions… net-zero targets at this point are not helping climate change, the economy, or cost of living for households.”

However, the senior Tory welcomed the move to train young people amid the government’s plans to create 400,000 new jobs in the sector by 2030, though she questioned whether all the jobs will be in the clean energy field. She remarked, “I think in this case, he [Ed Miliband] is going to include welders and electricians and plumbers, which we need in the economy anyway.”

Coutinho also claimed the energy secretary is going to sign Britain up to the “highest offshore wind prices that we’ve seen in a decade,” which she believes will ultimately cause energy prices to soar.

When asked if she would exclude China completely from Britain’s green energy industry, Coutinho emphasised the need for caution regarding any involvement. She stated, “We cannot have a reliance on our energy system for products that can only be made in China.” The UK’s supply chain for wind and solar power relies heavily on China, with 68% of solar panels imported to the UK expected to come from the country in 2024, up from 61% the previous year. This reliance has raised concerns about supply chain security, prompting initiatives such as Great British Energy to enhance domestic energy capabilities.

In a later interview with the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, Coutinho did not confirm when a Conservative government would aim to reach net zero. When questioned on the party’s climate policy, Coutinho said, “I think caring about pollution is important, but at the moment, the targets are actually pulling you in the wrong direction. If you want to decarbonise, the thing you have to do is get people to use electric products, cars, home, heating, industry, to electrify their machinery. So we don’t have a target.”