This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . The next check for changes will be

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/apr/30/tony-blair-risks-sending-absolutely-wrong-message-says-climate-expert

The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 3 Version 4
Climate experts and politicians round on Tony Blair for ‘wrong message’ Climate experts and politicians round on Tony Blair for ‘wrong message’
(about 2 hours later)
Former Labour PM accused of ‘handing talking points’ to Tories and Reform after saying net zero strategy falteringFormer Labour PM accused of ‘handing talking points’ to Tories and Reform after saying net zero strategy faltering
Climate experts and politicians have criticised Tony Blair for claiming that any strategy that relied on rapidly phasing out fossil fuels was “doomed to fail”. Climate experts and politicians have criticised Tony Blair for claiming any strategy that relied on rapidly phasing out fossil fuels was “doomed to fail”.
The former prime minister’s comments, published in a report from the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI), prompted an internal row in Labour, with some accusing him of playing into the hands of a narrative used by rightwing parties to delay climate action. The former prime minister’s comments, published in a report from the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI), prompted an internal row within Labour, with some accusing him of playing into the hands of a narrative used by rightwing parties to delay climate action.
Blair argued the political case for net zero was faltering and that governments should prioritise “realistic” climate strategies, including a greater focus on adaptation measures and technology-based solutions.Blair argued the political case for net zero was faltering and that governments should prioritise “realistic” climate strategies, including a greater focus on adaptation measures and technology-based solutions.
He noted the current climate approach “isn’t working”, with the debate having “become irrational” and people “turning away from the politics of the issue because they believe the proposed solutions are not founded on good policy”.He noted the current climate approach “isn’t working”, with the debate having “become irrational” and people “turning away from the politics of the issue because they believe the proposed solutions are not founded on good policy”.
“In developed countries, voters feel they’re being asked to make financial sacrifices and changes in lifestyle when they know that their impact on global emissions is minimal,” Blair wrote in the foreword for a report from the TBI. TBI published its report weeks after a recent YouGov poll found that 61% of people either strongly supported or somewhat supported the government’s commitment to cut carbon emissions to net zero by 2050.
A recent YouGov poll found that 61% of people either strongly supported or somewhat supported the government’s commitment to cut carbon emissions to net zero by 2050. Only 24% said they somewhat opposed or strongly opposed it and 15% said they didn’t know. There were 52% of voters who backed the Conservatives at the last general election and supported the net zero plans, with 38% of them opposing it and 11% in the “didn’t know” category.
Only 24% said they somewhat opposed or strongly opposed it and 15% said they didn’t know. Fifty-two per cent of voters who backed the Conservatives at the last general election supported the net zero plans, with 38% of them opposing it and 11% in the “didn’t know” category. Despite this, Blair wrote in the foreword for a report from the TBI: “In developed countries, voters feel they’re being asked to make financial sacrifices and changes in lifestyle when they know that their impact on global emissions is minimal.”
Climate experts hit back, accusing Blair of giving political cover to fossil fuel interests and weakening momentum behind the UK’s legally binding target to reach net zero emissions by 2050. Climate experts hit back, accusing Blair of giving political cover to fossil fuel interests and weakening momentum behind the UK’s legally-binding target to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
Lady Brown, of the independent Climate Change Committee, said Blair’s intervention risked sending the wrong message at a crucial moment. Lord Nicholas Stern, former World Bank chief economist, author of the landmark Stern review of the economics of climate change and chair of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change at the London School of Economics, said the TBI report was “muddled and misleading” as “there is far more progress being made around the world to decarbonise the global economy than it suggests”.
“My concern is that people might take away a message from that report that we should do adaptation instead of mitigation, and that is absolutely the wrong message,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. He added: “The UK’s leadership on climate change, particularly the elimination of coal from its power sector, is providing an influential example to other countries. So, too, its climate change legislation and its Climate Change Committee. If the UK wobbles on its route to net zero, other countries may become less committed. The UK matters.
“We need to do adaptation, because even if we get to net zero by mid-century, there’s still a huge amount of climate change to come, and we need to be ready for that. But we can’t adapt to everything. “And the report downplays the science in its absence of a sense of urgency and the lack of appreciation of the need for the world to achieve net zero as soon as possible, in order to manage the growth in climate change impacts that are already hurting households and businesses across the world and in the UK. Delay is dangerous.”
“As people know who live on the coast and suffer coastal erosion and flooding, no, we can’t adapt to everything. It’s absolutely critical that alongside adaptation, we are reducing emissions as well.” Baroness Brown, of the independent Climate Change Committee, said Blair’s intervention risked sending the wrong message at a crucial moment.
Dale Vince, a Labour party donor and founder of the renewable energy company Ecotricity, accused Blair of talking “nonsense”, adding that he “expected better than this from the TBI”.
In a statement, he said: “This from Tony Blair is net zero nonsense. He talks of growing fossil demand from China, when in fact it has peaked. He says we need less focus on renewable energy and more on carbon capture – one is cheap and abundant and prevents carbon emissions, the other is an incredibly expensive way of trying to deal with emissions. Prevention (green energy) is always better and cheaper than the cure.”
A senior Labour MP said: “It’s maddening. Blair parachutes in and is handing talking points to the Tories and Reform on a silver platter. TBI might want to remember it’s not running the country.”
Sign up to Down to EarthSign up to Down to Earth
The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essentialThe planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential
after newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotion
The TBI has since released a statement that said: “The report is clear that we support the government’s net zero targets, to give certainty to the investors and innovators who can develop these new solutions and make them deployable. People support climate action, and it is vital that we keep the public’s support for how we do it.” “My concern is that people might take away a message from that report that we should do adaptation instead of mitigation, and that is absolutely the wrong message,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
The Green party peer Jenny Jones said the former Labour prime minister was “completely out of touch” on climate policy. She added: “UK Labour should ignore him as a past relic. Net zero is popular with people. Who can argue with warmer homes, better public transport and, potentially, much cheaper energy, when we unlink from gas.” “We need to do adaptation, because even if we get to net zero by mid-century, there’s still a huge amount of climate change to come, and we need to be ready for that. But we can’t adapt to everything.
In an attempt to calm the row, the environment secretary, Steve Reed, said Blair was making a “valid and important contribution” to the debate on net zero. Reed told Times Radio he did not agree that Blair’s intervention was a “public tantrum”. “As people know who live on the coast and suffer coastal erosion and flooding, no, we can’t adapt to everything. It’s absolutely critical that alongside adaptation, we are reducing emissions as well.”
“He’s making a valid and important contribution to a very significant debate that we’re having,” Reed said, adding: “I agree with much of what he said, but not absolutely every word and dot and comma of it. But this government is moving to clean energy because it’s best for Britain. It’s more energy security for Britain.” The backlash has prompted TBI to issue a clarifying statement that said “the report is clear that we support the government’s net zero targets” and added, “people support climate action, and it is vital that we keep the public’s support for how we do it”.
The Conservative environment spokesperson, Victoria Atkins, said Blair’s criticism sent a “clear message” to the government, for it to “rethink” its approach to net zero. Anger in Labour circles has not yet dissipated, with some astonished at how close his intervention has come to the local elections. A senior Labour MP said: “It’s maddening. Blair parachutes in, and is handing talking points to the Tories and Reform on a silver platter. TBI might want to remember it’s not running the country.”
Atkins told Sky News: “A couple of months ago, Kemi Badenoch gave a big speech about net zero, her concerns about it, how the targets that have been laid are proving impossible to meet. Lo and behold, it seems now Sir Tony Blair agrees with her, and it’s the Labour government that perhaps has lost their way in this argument.” At prime minister’s questions, Keir Starmer said Blair was “absolutely aligned” with the Labour government.