Climate campaigners and opposition politicians have described the Conservative MP’s appointment as secretary of state for business, energy and industrial strategy as “deeply worrying”. “No government that is very serious about tackling the twin emergencies of climate and nature would even consider putting Jacob Rees-Mogg in charge of this portfolio,” said Caroline Lucas, the Green MP for Brighton Pavilion. “He’s the worst possible candidate at the worst possible time.” Mr Rees-Mogg has previously expressed skeptic views on climate and net zero, but will now lead the department responsible for the country’s strategy to reach net zero emissions by mid-century. In 2013, in an article written for the Telegraph, Mr Rees-Mogg disputed climate fears, saying: “It is widely accepted that carbon dioxide emissions have increased, but the effect on climate remains much debated, while the computer modeling that has been done to date has not proven to be particularly accurate.” While that was almost a decade ago, earlier this year Mr Rees-Mogg said Boris Johnson’s government wanted “every last drop” of oil and gas from the North Sea, dismissing warnings that a new push for fossil fuels would it was destroying the UK’s chances of achieving net zero by 2050. “2050 is a long way off,” Mr Rees-Mogg told LBC at the time. “We’re not trying to become clean zero tomorrow. We’ll need fossil fuels in the meantime.” The cabinet minister also described the idea of restarting fracking sites as “quite an interesting opportunity”. “Putting someone who recently suggested that ‘every last drop’ of oil should be extracted from the North Sea in charge of energy policy is deeply troubling for anyone concerned about worsening the climate emergency, solving the cost of living crisis and maintaining our fuel accounts. down for good,” said Friends of the Earth head of political affairs Dave Timms. Liz Truss’ full first speech as Prime Minister Ed Miliband, shadow secretary of state for climate change and a net zero for Labour, said: “We need an energy secretary for the 2020s, not the 1820s. But everything Jacob Rees-Mogg said about energy they are stuck in the past.” “If ministers had acted on Rees-Mogg’s views, then Britain would have been even more exposed to rising energy bills this winter, more reliant on expensive fossil fuels and even less prepared to deal with the climate crisis.” Ed Matthew, director of campaigns at the independent climate change think tank E3G, said: “A Business Secretary who does not understand that we are in the middle of a green energy revolution or that this is the best way to reduce energy bills and create economic development would leave the business community in utter despair. “The only exceptions would be oil and gas producers and Vladimir Putin,” he added. Ms Truss appointed former business minister Kwasi Kwarteng, widely seen by climate policy wonks as a net zero stalwart, as her chancellor offers environmentalists some hope that there may be more support for net zero than Ministry of Finance. Greenpeace echoed Ms Lucas’s criticism, calling Mr Rees-Mogg “the last person” who should be responsible for the energy brochure. “This will either be a huge own goal for Truss’ efforts to tackle the cost of living crisis or Rees-Mogg will have to make the steepest learning curve in history as he tackles the issues facing our country,” said Rebecca Newsom. head of UK Greenpeace policy. Tessa Khan, the founder and director of Uplift, which campaigns for a fair and fossil-free UK, said Mr Rees-Mogg would face the reality this week. “He has been free to believe and say what he likes until now, but the responsibility for providing an affordable energy supply to the country now rests on his shoulders,” he said. The Independent has contacted Mr Rees-Mogg’s team for comment.
