The smart path to net zero

Not long ago, Brexit used to dominate every debate. Now, it’s climate change. Political discussions can’t take place these days without some reference to the Government’s big mission: the legally-binding commitment to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Britain was one of the first countries in the world to sign up, and we did so with very little discussion about what it would involve. Britain’s chairmanship of the United Nations climate change summit in Glasgow (COP26) is likely to see Boris Johnson’s government position itself as a global champion of the agenda. But what will it mean? At what cost? And to what purpose? At The Spectator boardroom, we gathered together a group of people over lunch to discuss the project and its implications.

Guests included Kwasi Kwarteng, minister for business, energy and clean growth; Simon Clarke, the Exchequer minister; Chris Stark, whose Climate Change Committee has produced perhaps the most in-depth review so far into what the 2050 target will involve; and Carl Ennis and Steve Scrimshaw from Siemens, which sponsored the lunch.