Kemi Badenoch has come under fire from fellow Conservatives after backtracking the UK’s commitment to achieving net-zero by 2050, a policy she had previously assured party members she supported.

Her reversal has sparked criticism from both green Tory MPs and climate advocates who argue that the move could damage the UK’s environmental standing and economic prospects.

Former energy minister Chris Skidmore, who served in government from 2016 to 2020, accused Badenoch of reneging on a pledge she made during the 2022 Conservative leadership race.

“She told a Conservative Environment Network hustings of 60 MPs that I organized with [former business and energy secretary] Alok Sharma for the leadership in 2022 that she believed in net-zero – and made that promise in private to us all.”
Chris Skidmore

He added that she had reiterated her stance during a cabinet committee meeting chaired by then-COP26 President Alok Sharma, stressing the role of net-zero in facilitating green trade and international supply chains.

Last week, Kemi Badenoch dismissed the net-zero target as unrealistic, arguing that achieving it would require either “a serious drop in our living standards or by bankrupting us.”

“We’ve got to stop pretending to the next generation. We’ve got to stop government by press release.”
Kemi Badenoch

Her remarks have caused significant dismay within the Conservative Party, particularly among those advocating for strong environmental policies.

Green Tories Express Concern

Theresa May, who introduced the net-zero target in 2019 during her tenure as prime minister, rebuffed Badenoch’s claims, arguing that the goal remains feasible.

“Net-zero by 2050 is challenging but achievable … It is supported by the scientific community and backed by the independent Climate Change Committee as being not just necessary but feasible and cost-effective.”
Theresa May

Similarly, former Conservative cabinet minister John Gummer, also known as Lord Deben, criticized Badenoch for disregarding expert guidance. “You would have thought she would have talked to the Climate Change Committee, which was set up under the Conservatives to provide such independent advice,” he remarked, warning that her stance could deter green investment and prolong the UK’s reliance on fossil fuels.

Badenoch’s shift has also raised concerns among think tanks and younger Conservative supporters. Ryan Shorthouse, executive chair of the Bright Blue think tank, emphasized the importance of net-zero for younger voters.

He pointed to a decade’s worth of polling data indicating that climate action remains a top priority for Britons under 40. Shorthouse warned that failing to act on climate change would result in “unsustainable costs to both our environment and economy.”

Analysis by the London School of Economics has found that although reaching net-zero by 2050 would initially cost between 1% and 2% of gross domestic product (GDP) a year, it will save money by about 2040. Badenoch herself made this point in parliament in 2022.

“Our latest estimates put the costs of net-zero at under 2% of GDP – broadly similar to when we legislated for it two years ago – with scope for costs of low-carbon technologies to fall faster than expected.”
Kemi Badenoch

A spokesman for the Tory leader indicated that she had made clear her reservations about achieving net-zero by 2050 at the time the hustings were held in 2022.

While Badenoch remains firm in her position, the backlash from within her party suggests that divisions over the UK’s climate policy are far from resolved. With net-zero remaining a key issue for voters and businesses alike, her comments may have significant implications for the Conservative Party’s future political strategy.