Labour to Establish Office for Net Zero if Elected in Upcoming Election
Labour is planning to take immediate action towards achieving net zero by setting up an Office for Net Zero if it wins the upcoming election, sources have revealed. The party’s transition team, led by Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff Sue Gray, is considering establishing the office within the Cabinet Office to oversee the delivery of its net zero policies outlined in their manifesto.
The new office will be tasked with eliminating carbon emissions and promoting clean energy, and will have joint ministerial oversight from the Cabinet Office and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (Desnez). The current department, established last year under Rishi Sunak’s reshuffle, has general oversight over net zero policies but does not have a formal delivery function across government.
This announcement comes after former Tory minister Chris Skidmore, who resigned in protest over the government’s approach to net zero and oil and gas production, revealed that he will be voting for Labour in the upcoming election. Skidmore has accused the prime minister of “siding with climate deniers” and politicizing the transition to clean energy.
Labour has made the transition to a green economy a key issue in this election, with their manifesto committing to decarbonizing the power system by 2030 – five years earlier than the Conservatives. This has been met with criticism from the Tories, who have been accused of watering down their own climate policies in the face of external pressures.
Labour’s plans to accelerate the move to net zero include doubling onshore wind, tripling solar power, and quadrupling offshore wind by 2030. In comparison, the Conservatives have taken a more cautious approach, with the prime minister announcing last year that he was easing several green policies to protect families from “unacceptable costs.”
The party’s change in stance on environmental policies came after their narrow win in the Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election, where they opposed London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) scheme. Labour has also had to rethink their own flagship policy of investing £28bn per year in green initiatives, with leader Sir Keir Starmer confirming that they will now spend just £23.7bn over their first term in office.
Establishing the Office for Net Zero within the Cabinet Office would demonstrate Labour’s commitment to achieving net zero by placing it at the heart of government. However, there may be some resistance within Sir Keir’s team, as some members believe a more cautious approach is needed.
Shaun Spiers, executive director of Green Alliance, says that “leadership on the greatest challenge of our time needs to come from the top of government.” He believes that the Cabinet Office, along with other key ministries, must play a role in driving the agenda forward in order for the UK to meet its legally-binding climate targets.
The Labour Party has been approached for comment on the establishment of the Office for Net Zero.