Energy insecurity and the resulting doubling of our energy bills is directly linked to our continued dependence on fossil fuels, a dependence that also destabilizes the climate. The answer is to accelerate the transition to clean green energy. Just look at the numbers: money invested in energy efficiency provides far greater returns than money invested in new energy capacity. But environmental concerns go further than coal. There is no prospect of dealing with climate change without massive efforts to restore and protect nature. The UK has led efforts to raise funding to protect the vast Congo Basin, and we have done so not only because its destruction means the permanent loss of valuable biodiversity, or even because of the Congo’s role in storing billions of tonnes of carbon, but because you know that if the forests of the Congo go, so does the rainfall for much of Africa, and with it the agriculture that feeds hundreds of millions of people. The humanitarian and subsequent refugee crisis would be more than the world could handle. Voters understand that these are not regional issues and if we are not serious about tackling them, voters will rightly turn away from the Conservatives. We have a proud history as the party of nature – it’s been in our DNA to conserve, protect and leave our environment a better place for future generations. Since 2010, we have made huge progress in reducing carbon dioxide emissions by almost 50 percent and brought significant changes to animal welfare regulations. Cop26 was the biggest unplanned test of ‘Global Britain’ on the post-Brexit stage and the biggest international summit we have ever hosted. When we took over the presidency, just 30 percent of the world economy was covered by zero commitments. Today it is 90 percent. Some 65 countries have pledged to phase out coal, including four of the world’s top 20 coal-fired power producers. And most importantly, we secured unprecedented commitments from 143 countries representing 90 percent of the world’s forests to protect these vital ecosystems for all humanity. That leadership continues. It was the UK that demanded and secured historic commitments from G7 member states on nature funding last month. It is the UK that is leading coalitions of more than 100 countries calling for 30 per cent of the world’s land and oceans to be protected by 2030. Domestically, polls have consistently shown that voters care. In a recent poll of more than 3,000 voters in marginal Red Wall seats, tackling climate change and the environment was cited as the second most important issue behind the NHS. Some 53 percent wanted more action on climate change, compared to 9 percent who did not. That’s no surprise, given that Red Wall seats are where renewable energy industries are leading a green jobs revolution. Mayor Ben Houchen was re-elected with 73 per cent of the Tees Valley vote, putting net zero at the heart of his re-election campaign. The environment is also a priority for Blue Wall Conservatives facing Lib Dem challengers in the south. If we pull the plug on our climate commitments, we can watch those positions turn yellow on election night in two years. Some candidates are already promising to abandon our climate and environmental commitments, while others are keeping an ominous silence. However, if we reject the UK’s international leadership on the environment, we will lose the support of a broad coalition of voters. We will dig our electoral grave. Zac Goldsmith is international environment minister. Chris Skidmore is the MP for Kingswood.
