Truss has pledged to stick to the target, but her campaign promises to expand oil and gas production in the North Sea, her vocal support for fracking and her opposition to onshore wind and solar farms have led to fears she could refuse the actions required to achieve the GOAL. Her appointment of Jacob Rees-Mogg, a former Brexit opportunity secretary, as secretary of state for business, energy and industrial strategy has also raised concerns among climate campaigners and energy experts. Rees-Mogg has questioned the need to tackle the climate crisis in the past and has pledged to “squeeze every last cubic inch of natural gas out of the North Sea”. He also supports fracking, while opposing onshore wind power generation. The group of 29 MPs and peers from the all-party environment caucus have written to Truss asking her to recommit to net zero and push forward measures that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help reduce rising energy bills. “The decisions your government takes will have a significant impact on the lives of people across the country and indeed across our planet,” they wrote in a letter seen by the Guardian. “We hope that as prime minister you will continue to support measures to reach net zero by 2050 or sooner in this country, while also being a global champion for climate and nature on the international stage.” They are asking her to recommit to net zero and “put the UK on track to meet legally binding carbon budgets”. to boost renewable energy sources; put in place a national plan for home insulation. and reaffirm the government’s objectives for wildlife and natural environment conservation. Chris Skidmore, the former Tory energy secretary who is chairman of the APPG and coordinated the letter, told the Guardian he was “not worried” that Truss would renege on commitments to cut carbon emissions. “The government is in favor of net zero and the prime minister has said she wants to double net zero, in a more business and private business friendly way,” he said. “I am absolutely determined that people see net zero as a mainstream economic issue, a huge opportunity for job creation and uplift. It is very important that net zero is not seen as a culture war, left-wing project – it is actually an economic development strategy.” Skidmore is believed to have turned down a potential post as energy secretary under Rees-Mogg for personal reasons. Rees-Mogg is expected to oversee the energy portfolio himself, rather than appoint a junior to the role. Skidmore said the business secretary would be bound by the collective responsibility of the cabinet and be governed by Truss on policy, regardless of any other views on the climate crisis. “The direction is set from the top. I am confident that whoever is Foreign Secretary will uphold collective responsibility and the Prime Minister sees net zero as an opportunity to deliver economic growth,” he said. Ben Goldsmith, a prominent Green Tory, investor and chairman of the Conservative Environment Network, told the Guardian that Rees-Mogg had “not yet sought to make a name for himself as a campaigner to protect the natural world”. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. But he added a veiled warning that voters were in favor of green policies: “It is clear that the vast majority of people in this country want strong action now to prevent a climate catastrophe, they want nature restored at home and they want Britain to lead international efforts on these issues. With this in mind, it would not be a very smart move for any politician to turn their back on this vital agenda now.” The letter reminds Truss of the UK’s hosting of the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow last year and asks her to attend the Cop15 UN biodiversity summit in December, at which countries are expected to commit to a target to halt the decline of species and to protect 30% of the land by 2030. “As a host of Cop26 during your time as Foreign Secretary and now as Prime Minister, you will have seen the truly global impact that UK policy-making and our government can have,” the letter said. The 29 MPs signing the letter from the APPG include Labour’s Rebecca Long-Bailey and Kim Leadbeater, the Lib Dems’ Wera Hobhouse and Lady Parminter, the Scottish National Party’s Douglas Chapman, Plaid Cymru’s Ben Lake and Caroline Lucas, the only one in the UK. Member of Parliament of the Green Party.
