Climate change ‘could be good’ for Britain: Lord Frost urges Rishi Sunak to ditch ‘high cost’ green policies as Cabinet rift over net zero grows
- Tory peer said it’s time to ‘move away’ from ‘high cost’ climate change policies
Climate change could even be ‘beneficial’ for Britain, Lord Frost said yesterday, amid growing signs of a Cabinet rift over the cost of green policies.
In a high-profile intervention, the Tory peer said it was time to ‘move away’ from ‘high cost’ policies designed to halt climate change and focus on cheaper measures that will reduce the impact of events such as flooding.
The ex-Cabinet minister praised Rishi Sunak for softening his line on the green agenda in light of the cost of living crisis.
And he predicted that the impact of climate change on the UK is likely to be far less severe than some experts have suggested, with milder winters saving thousands of lives each year.
His comments came as the Government’s approach to costly green policies became mired in confusion.
Lord Frost (pictured), the UK’s former chief Brexit negotiator, praised Rishi Sunak for softening his line on the green agenda in light of the cost of living crisis
New cars that fill up with petrol and diesel are due to be phased out in 2030
Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove tried to shut down debate about the controversial target to ban sales of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, describing the timetable as ‘immovable’.
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But a Government source confirmed the PM is ‘open’ to reviewing the policy after warning this week that net zero ambitions must be pursued in a ‘proportionate and pragmatic way that doesn’t unnecessarily give people more hassle and more costs in their lives’.
The confusion was criticised by some in the car industry. The RAC warned delaying the target ‘would simply be kicking the can further down the road while potentially harming electric vehicle sales and slowing down the roll-out of much-needed additional charging infrastructure’.
Mr Gove’s intervention was viewed with suspicion by Tory MPs who believe he is permanently ‘on manoeuvres’.
Speaking in a Lords debate on climate change, Lord Frost acknowledged that ‘more will need to be spent on things like flood protection and reservoirs’, but added: ‘Digging deeper, what are those consequences of the hotter, warmer summers and warmer, wetter winters?
‘At the moment, seven times as many people die from cold as from heat in Britain. Rising temperatures are likely to be beneficial.’
Lord Frost cited official studies showing that the UK’s net zero policies could cost the economy £50billion a year.
But he said they would have ‘precisely zero effect’ on the global economy ‘unless everyone else in the world is willing to bear the same costs’.
By contrast, he said measures to mitigate the worst effects were likely to cost only around £8billion a year by 2050.
Rishi Sunak delivered a strong hint at a rethink by dodging explicitly committing to the 2030 timeframe
Minister for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove pictured on Monday July 24, announcing plans to prioritise house building in inner city areas
‘I suggest that the rational thing to do is to move away from the current high-cost mitigation efforts, efforts which also involve massive investments in unproductive renewables, huge changes in lifestyles as well as crushing economic growth, and pursue mitigation in a different way,’ he added.
He said the UK should invest in ‘effective’ energy production such as nuclear and gas while spending ‘manageable’ sums on adaptation as the country adjusts to rising temperatures.
Lord Deben, former chairman of the independent Climate Change Committee, hit back, saying: ‘I don’t think the families of people who died because of heat are very much cheered by the fact that there are fewer people dying because of cold. The fact of the matter is we have to deal with these problems.’
Meanwhile, ex-business secretary Sir Alok Sharma, who was president of the UN’s Cop 26 climate summit in Glasgow, warned the Government against backsliding on its commitments. He said dropping some green targets would mean introducing more in other areas in order to meet the UK’s legally binding net zero targets.
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