Green Tories back Johnson’s call for successor to invest in renewables
Leading green Conservatives have backed Boris Johnson’s call for his successor to invest in renewable energy, amid concern that the Tory leadership frontrunner Liz Truss could rely more on fossil fuels to combat soaring prices.
In one of his final speeches as prime minister, Johnson is set to warn against focusing on short-term solutions and neglecting both renewables and a wider shift towards net zero.
While officials say details of the speech are still to be worked out, they say Johnson will stress that growth in sources such as wind power, as well as new nuclear power stations, would protect the UK from future energy crises.
Truss and her rival in the Conservative leadership race, Rishi Sunak, have both called for more nuclear energy. However, they have been notably sceptical at times in their comments and planned policies on renewable sources.
Sunak has pledged to make it even harder to get permission for onshore windfarms, while Truss spoke out vehemently against solar panels being installed on agricultural land.
Chris Skidmore, a Conservative former minister who set up the Net Zero Support Group within the parliamentary party and has become a leading Tory voice on green issues, said he was keen for Truss and Sunak to understand the need to invest in renewables.
“The reason why I wanted to ensure every candidate in the leadership contest committed to net zero was not just to ensure that the UK maintained its international leadership on climate change – it was precisely because net zero isn’t just about reducing emissions but determining our future energy security and economic growth,” the MP for Kingswood told the Guardian.
“The private sector and international markets already understand that investing in the energy
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