Former Prime Minister Theresa May has branded Kemi Badenoch’s plan to repeal the UK’s landmark Climate Change Act “a catastrophic mistake.”
The Conservative leader confirmed this week that her party would scrap the 2008 legislation and replace it with a strategy focused on “cheap and reliable” energy.
The Climate Change Act, introduced by Labour in 2008, committed the UK to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050. Under May’s premiership, that ambition was increased to “net zero” by 2050 — a target which positioned Britain as the first G7 nation to enshrine such a commitment in law.
Badenoch described herself as a “net-zero sceptic” but “not a climate change sceptic,” arguing that the existing legislation was “just random targets with no plans forcing us to do stupid things in order to meet them.”
May issued a strongly worded rebuttal, accusing Badenoch of undermining nearly two decades of political consensus. “I am deeply disappointed by this retrograde step, which upends 17 years of consensus between our main political parties and the scientific community,” she said.
“To row back now would be a catastrophic mistake for while that consensus is being tested, the science remains the same. The harms are undeniable. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to ensure we protect the planet for their futures.”
She added that innovation and investment could only be achieved “by providing consistency and showing a clear determination to stick to the long-term path of reducing emissions, achieving net zero and protecting our planet for future generations.”