Liz Truss is the New UK Prime Minister: How Will This Affect Climate Policy?

Liz Truss

Essay by Eric Worrall

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss apparently wants us to believe she is Margaret Thatcher reborn. But her history of political switchbacks on important issues leaves a lot of uncertainty.

Boris Johnson’s ‘green legacy’ has major flaws – it’s up to the next prime minister to rescue net zero

ANALYSIS

Boris Johnson likes to portray himself as a champion of climate action, but he leaves his successor with a net zero mountain to climb

September 5, 2022 11:14 am(Updated 3:22 pm)

It is perhaps fitting that in one of his final speeches as Prime Minister, Boris Johnson took the opportunity to trumpet his government’s record on climate action.

He said his government had made “big decisions” to secure a “clean, green future” for the UK.

Mr Johnson has always liked to talk big on climate change. He inherited an ambitious target of delivering net zero emissions by 2050 from his predecessor Theresa May – but he grabbed the challenge and ran with it.

Both candidates have promised to uphold the 2050 net zero goal, but have said little about the radical action needed to get there.

Instead the favourite for the job, Liz Truss, has hit the campaign trail touting policies experts say will increase emissions, not cut them. She has vowed to halt the spread of solar farms around the country, lift the moratorium on fracking, and boost exploration efforts for more oil and gas in the North Sea.

A point in Truss’ favour, Nigel Farage was impressed by Liz Truss’ victory speech, enough to suggest people give her a chance. Farage is a friend and supporter of President Trump, he was a surprise guest at one of President Trump’s campaign speeches during Trump’s first run for presidency. Farage’s focus in his response to the Truss win was uncontrolled illegal immigration, but Farage once appointed Lord Monckton as climate spokesman for UKIP, which will give you an idea of his views on climate policy.

My biggest concern with Truss is she seems to be a political chameleon. Truss went from staunch anti-Brexit campaigner to now saying she supports Brexit. She claims to support Net Zero, but also claims to want to restrict new renewable installations and encourage more fossil fuel production. Some people have described her speech delivery as awkward, but she impressed Trump’s friend Nigel Farage with her victory speech.

Given Truss’ history of apparent political flexibility, frankly I have no idea what she will do, now she is Prime Minister. We can only hope Truss makes an effort to keep her promise to ease restrictions on domestic fossil fuel production, and at least defers her promise of continued support for Britain’s ruinously expensive Net Zero policies.

Liz Truss Victory Speech

Correction (EW): Staunch anti-brexit campaigner to pro-brexit.

 

 

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