From BBC
Sir Tony Blair has called for a major rethink of net zero policies, arguing that limiting energy consumption and fossil fuel production is “doomed to fail”.
In a new report, the former Labour prime minister says voters “feel they’re being asked to make financial sacrifices and changes in lifestyle when they know the impact on global emissions is minimal”.
He does not call for Labour to halt its push to decarbonise the UK economy – but says all governments need to rethink their approach, as it is not working.
The Tories – who have joined Reform UK in opposing net zero emissions by 2050 – urged Labour to end the “mad dash” to this goal – but Downing Street said it would not be changing course.
In its report The Climate Paradox: Why We Need to Reset Action on Climate Change, the Tony Blair Institute argues that global institutions such as COP and the UN have failed to make sufficient progress in halting climate change.
At the same time, it argues, the public have lost faith in climate policies because the promised green jobs and economic growth have failed to materialise, thanks in part to global instability and the Covid pandemic.
Writing in the foreword, Sir Tony says: “Though most people will accept that climate change is a reality caused by human activity, they’re turning away from the politics of the issue because they believe the proposed solutions are not founded on good policy.”
He says “any strategy based on either ‘phasing out’ fossil fuels in the short term or limiting consumption is a strategy doomed to fail”.
He also warns against the “alarmist” tone of the debate on climate change, which he says is “riven with irrationality”.
The report calls for the rapid deployment of carbon capture and storage technology, greater use of AI to make
