Britain should pursue a green agenda even if there were no climate crisis, a leading adviser has said.
Chris Skidmore said the potential economic rewards alone would make net-zero policies worthwhile.
Mr Skidmore, a Conservative MP asked to review the net-zero mission, said the UK would miss out on jobs in green industries such as hydrogen, batteries, chemicals and carbon capture if it did not fully embrace the 2050 goal.
It comes as the government shifts the focus of energy policy towards ensuring economic stability after the war in Ukraine.
Climate Minister Graham Stuart said Britain had yet to “optimise the economic opportunity” of the green transition.
Speaking at an event in London on Monday, Mr Skidmore said: “Even if there wasn’t a climate crisis, which there clearly is, we should be seeking to deliver net zero for the overall benefits it will bring our economy and our society.”
Britain was already in a “global net-zero race” in which it could either lead the way or be left behind, Mr Skidmore said.
He said: “Net zero isn’t just a tool to solve the climate crisis, it has become the primary economic tool to deliver growth, to restore industry and manufacturing, to create new jobs and to regenerate regions and local communities.
“This isn’t happening simply to tackle climate change. Countries recognise that net zero is creating the industries and economies of the future, and with it, establishing the supply chains and economic opportunities that need to be seized now before they go elsewhere.”
Scaling back ambition would see Britain “turn our back on that investment, turn our back on the growth and the jobs that are waiting to be had”, he said.
Mr Skidmore, a former energy minister, published a 340-page review last week that called for 10-year projects to develop key industries such as hydrogen and heat pumps. The government said it would consider his 129 recommendations.
He welcomed the UAE’s ambassador to the launch event on Monday, as the country prepares to host Cop28. Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and UAE special envoy for climate change, was last week named President-designate of the summit.
Mr Stuart, the Climate Minister, said the pressure of high energy prices made net-zero policies “more important than ever”.
Britain has plans to increase its low-carbon power generation while also extracting more oil and gas from its North Sea reserves.
“There are many roads to the green transition, each of them with their own economic implications, and indeed political implications if we’re to maintain consensus and broad public support,” Mr Stuart said.
“That must be a road that enables us to achieve economic growth, energy security and affordability for all, ensuring that we don’t place undue burdens on British businesses and households across the country even as we seek to lead the world.”
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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RESULT
Brazil 2 Croatia 0
Brazil: Neymar (69'), Firmino (90' 3)
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What is the definition of an SME?
SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.
A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.
The biog
Name: James Mullan
Nationality: Irish
Family: Wife, Pom; and daughters Kate, 18, and Ciara, 13, who attend Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS)
Favourite book or author: “That’s a really difficult question. I’m a big fan of Donna Tartt, The Secret History. I’d recommend that, go and have a read of that.”
Dream: “It would be to continue to have fun and to work with really interesting people, which I have been very fortunate to do for a lot of my life. I just enjoy working with very smart, fun people.”
