By Andrew Hunt.
While the ULEZ rebellion looks like a gift to the Conservatives, Rishi Sunak faces some tricky choices.
On the one hand most voters support net zero and climate policies. But on the other hand, they are clearly unwilling to pay infinite amounts or make major sacrifices to their lifestyles.
Fortunately, there is a third way that wins over both voter groups: Climate Localism.
Climate localism involves a reboot of our climate policies and regulations to ensure they are local, decentralised, democratic, costed and affordable. In short, no more jetting off to international conferences for billion dollar deals with multinationals and NGOs. Instead, British voters and communities are empowered to be the change they want to see in the world.
In short, no more jetting off to international conferences for billion dollar deals with multinationals and NGOs. Instead, British voters and communities are empowered to be the change they want to see in the world.
When it comes to the details, the work is already out there, thanks to the efforts of an army of centre-right thinkers and innovators.
For example, Onward UK has proposed more local green jobs as part of levelling up. Instead of spending on today’s unaffordable green technologies, we should invest more in British R&D to find better value solutions. Both myself and Policy Exchange have produced research on forcing developers to build more beautiful and long-lasting buildings. This is something local communities have been crying out for, and would have a greater effect on reducing emissions than grounding the entire airline industry.
The CPS and IEA want to create a more coherent set of climate taxes so as not to penalise British industry and small businesses; with the proceeds returned to British households as an annual Climate Dividend. Similarly, communities adopting local green initiatives (such as wind farms or congestion zones) should be paid additional climate dividends.
Meanwhile both Civitas and the New Social Covenant have made the case powerfully for a climate policy that prioritises national security. In particular reversing our pernicious and growing dependence on China; which utterly dominates the supply chains in renewables and electric vehicles. Another costless and socially beneficial idea is a Cloud-based system of extra-long warranties on consumer goods: a digital initiative that cuts global emissions and environmental degradation while creating more jobs for STEM workers and reducing our dependence on China.
This is just the beginning.
A Net Zero for Net Zero Competition could crowd-source hundreds of costless or money-saving climate solutions from the British Public. There has been minimal public engagement on the issue. This could transform that and save money.
National and locally focused policies like these are affordable, achievable and engage an enthusiastic public. Best of all, this is exactly what voters want. According to Polling by Policy Exchange:
- The public particularly support policies with clear local benefits, for example creating new jobs or protecting the beauty of British landscapes and ocean environments.
- Although the polling finds no major differences between Red Wall and non-Red Wall seats on climate change opinions, local relevance remains key to the popularity of environmental policies.
A lack of local involvement gets to the heart of why Net Zero has been such a PR disaster. The government’s slate of climate policies are maximum cost – minimum engagement. Thus, voters lose money AND are left utterly cut off from the process.
A lack of local involvement gets to the heart of why Net Zero has been such a PR disaster. The government’s slate of climate policies are maximum cost – minimum engagement. Thus, voters lose money AND are left utterly cut off from the process.
For example, if Downing Street, EDF and Siemens agree to spend £1bn on a wind-farm in the middle of the North Sea, it is a lot of public money but zero voter contact. The same applies to doling out cash to developing countries at the annual COP conferences.
This is why the UK gets no recognition for being a climate leader, and why we must endure these endless climate protests. Without local involvement, genuine environmentalists feel helpless and excluded. Instead of annoying the rest of us, they should be pouring their energy into local action and local decision-making. Climate policy needs to maximise voter contact and minimise cost.
And it is not just voters. When it comes to MPs, Climate Localism can unite Unite the Right. Here is a reset that can bring together those who want a less economically damaging approach to Net Zero, those who want to reinvigorate national identity and community life, those who fear our increasing dependence on China, and the growing cadre of hyper-localist MPs.
Not only that, Climate Localism can get the government out of a panoply of embarrassing disasters that are heading straight at us. The UK is already way behind schedule on net zero. Flagship renewables projects are being pulled as costs spiral, the ill-conceived heat pumps roll-out is lagging behind every other country in Europe, and the installation EV charging points is running at about a tenth of what it needs to be. Meanwhile the cost-of-living crisis grinds on and government debt ticks higher. A climate localism reboot replaces these shambolic national failures with hundreds of visible and achievable small wins, while helping Sunak close in on his inflation, growth and debt pledges.
Unite the right, Level Up, restrain China, roll back big government, enhance local democracy, community and decentralisation, save money, reduce the cost of living, and reinvigorate national pride. That is an awful lot of wins!
Unite the right, Level Up, restrain China, roll back big government, enhance local democracy, community and decentralisation, save money, reduce the cost of living, and reinvigorate national pride. That is an awful lot of wins!
With the Party Conference coming up, and Rishi Sunak yet to make good on his promise to give a voice to the party’s grassroots, Climate Localism could be the perfect candidate for a Party Members’ vote, and would show the party was at last starting to listen to its voters.
Uxbridge and Ruislip has thrown the Overton Window open, we should let the fresh breeze of Climate Localism sweep in.
Author Andrew Hunt graduated from Cambridge with a Law degree in 2003. He worked in TV production before moving into finance. It was here that he became fascinated by how personal investors and small companies could turn negligible resources into enormous fortunes. Applying the same mindset and principles, Hunt was able to retire in his thirties. He now invests in interesting projects which aim to make the world a better place and runs a radical centre-right environmental think tank. He is also the author of Better Value Investing.
Photo licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic License.
