The government refuses to acknowledge – let alone address – the climate crisis
While climate sceptics wax lyrical about the cost of net zero, they conveniently omit the cost of not getting to net zero We need to shift away from the dangerous pursuit of endless economic growth at all costs, towards making wellbeing our main economic goal of people, communities and our natural world This week, weve heard predictions from the Met Office that the probability of surpassing 1.5C heating within five years has now jumped to 50 per cent. Temperatures are reaching 50C in parts of the world. Weve heard reports of 195 carbon bombs from the fossil fuel industry, each set to unleash a billion tonnes of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. Prince Charles, then such an ardent advocate for environmental action must have been scanning the pages of the Queens Speech in disbelief, as he was compelled to deliver a government-stamped rhetoric to the nation which failed to mention the word climate even once. And now we hear that the government has underspent its net zero budget by a staggering quarter of a billion pounds. Just months after proudly trumpeting cash as one of his four flagship pledges day after day during Cop26, Boris Johnson has evidently filed the whole summit away in a dusty drawer, never to be seen or spoken of again. The Tories now fundamentally fail to even acknowledge, let alone address, this crisis. When we face a soaring cost of living, with bills spiralling out of control and pensioners travelling on buses all day just to keep warm alongside an energy security crisis, while we in the UK currently have the leakiest homes in Europe we need big, bold, positive solutions. Perhaps most frustratingly of all; those solutions are staring the prime minister in the face. We need a retrofit revolution a mass programme of heat pumps and insulation for 10 million homes designed to slash energy bills, reduce energy demand, and cut emissions while were at it. We need a Green New Deal to decarbonise our economy and create thousands of new, well-paid green jobs, in sectors ranging from renewable energy to care work. And we need to shift away from the dangerous pursuit of endless economic growth at all costs, towards making wellbeing our main economic goal of people, communities and our natural world. Yes, these solutions cost money. Were not ashamed to say that the Green Partys retrofitting plan would cost 25bn a year, for 10 years. But while climate sceptics like Steve Baker wax lyrical about the cost of net zero, they conveniently omit the cost of not getting to net zero. Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial A recent report by the well-respected Institute for Government found that the costs of failing to bring climate change under control would be much larger than those associated with decarbonisation. Perhaps the most telling example of this is David Camerons decision to cut the green crap, which actually added 150 to every household energy bill , and cost the economy 8.3bn. Ending onshore wind projects, solar subsidies and energy efficiency schemes has made people worse off, not better off. To keep up to speed with all the latest opinions and comment, sign up to our free weekly Voices Dispatches newsletter by clicking here And theres a human cost, too. I dare Steve Baker or any other member of Net Zero Watch to speak to Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, whose own daughter died from air pollution on Londons South Circular or the families of 180 people who died in floods across Germany and western Europe last summer and tell them we cant tackle the climate crisis because its too expensive. What this weeks Queens Speech showed is that our government refuses to spend because it lacks vision, ideas, and a sense of purpose. Held hostage, perhaps willingly (as no one really knows what our prime minister believes) by fanatical low-tax, low-spend right-wing backbenchers and an arch-Thatcherite chancellor, Boris Johnson is falling woefully short when it comes to financing the solutions to the cost of living crisis, the energy security crisis and the climate crisis. We all agree what needs to be done. We just need the courage to get on and do it. For once, I agree with these wise words from our prime minister at Cop26 last November. But six months on, and Im still waiting. Caroline Lucas is the MP for Brighton Pavilion and former leader of the Green Party Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies We need to shift away from the dangerous pursuit of endless economic growth at all costs, towards making wellbeing our main economic goal of people, communities and our natural world Getty Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Log in New to The Independent? Or if you would prefer: Want an ad-free experience? Hi {{indy.fullName}}