Will Liz Truss challenge the UK’s carbon neutrality goals? While his predecessor, Boris Johnson, had promised during his campaign to bring the country’s emissions to zero, the new prime minister is worrying environmental circles. Her time at the head of the environment department between 2014 and 2016 and her recent statements paint the portrait of a stateswoman little concerned with ecological issues.
Liz Truss has flattered throughout her campaign the right wing of the Conservative Party which, without being openly climatosceptic, has questioned the relevance of the environmental commitments made by the previous government. Despite the energy crisis hitting the United Kingdom, she opposed rationing and refuses to call on the British to change their consumption habits to limit waste.
Remove environmental taxes
On the other hand, several of those close to her have indicated that she wanted to exempt high-consumption companies from environmental taxes to enable them to cope with energy inflation.
As for the country’s production, the new prime minister criticized solar panels, which they say are guilty of occupying arable land. Currently, however, they cover only 0.08% of British land. This figure could reach 0.6% if the carbon neutrality objectives were respected. However, this would represent less space than that currently allocated to golf courses, according to Solar Energy, representing players in the sector.
Increase hydrocarbon production
Instead of renewable energies, Liz Truss intends to increase production from gas and oil fields in the North Sea, which still contains 15 billion barrels of these two resources, according to the representative of British producers Offshore Energies UK. The new British leader also wants to encourage new explorations. According to The Timesit would consider granting 130 licenses to companies to conduct them.
Apart from the environmental problems that this possible measure would raise, its effectiveness is called into question, insofar as these hydrocarbons would take years to reach the market. Liz Truss also announced support for hydraulic fracturing, while Boris Johnson had imposed a moratorium on this polluting process.
Concern of environmental defenders
Faced with this program, environmental defense organizations are sounding the alarm. “Truss has to manage many existential crises: the energy crisis, the climate emergency, the biodiversity crisis and the war in Europe. None of these problems can be solved by environmental deregulation and further extraction of gas, oil or coal”declared Mike Childs, activist of the association Friends of The Earth at the Guardian.
The future composition of the government also contributes to fueling the concern of observers. In particular, it is possible that the business ministry will go to Jacob Rees Moog, a member of the right wing of the Conservative Party who has repeatedly expressed climatosceptic positions.
Worse still, these measures are likely to be taken in a way « furtive », is alarmed Tom Burke, co-founder of the E3G think tank quoted by the Guardian.“They know voters want serious environmental action, so they’re going to have to operate stealthily. It is on this path that Liz Truss is engaged. »