03-06-2025
Cleverly: We can grow our economy without killing net zero
The Conservatives must not turn their back on protecting the environment, Sir James Cleverly will argue in an apparent split from Kemi Badenoch's approach to green policy.
In a speech on the importance of the green agenda, Sir James will say it is wrong to choose between economic growth and mitigating climate change.
The former foreign secretary narrowly lost the last Tory leadership race to Mrs Badneoch last year, and some MPs believe he would run again if there were another contest.
In one of her first policy positions in the role, Mrs Badenoch dropped support for the country reaching net zero emissions by 2050, because she said she believed it 'impossible' to achieve.
Sir James will use a speech at the pro-green Conservative Environment Network (CEN) on Wednesday to argue that it was essential that the party did not give up on the climate agenda.
The former leadership contender, from the moderate wing of the party, will call for the Tories to reject 'both the luddite Left and the luddite Right' on green policy.
Sir James will say: 'Conservative environmentalism doesn't mean a choice between growth and sustainability. It means creating policies that unlock the potential of new industries while ensuring that we protect the environment.
'It's about finding practical solutions to achieve long-term growth without sacrificing our environmental obligations.'
The former Cabinet minister will add: 'The idea that we must choose between a strong economy and protecting our environment is outdated. The future I believe in is one where these two aims go hand in hand, driving innovation and opportunity.'
His remarks represent a stark contrast to Mrs Badenoch's pitch in March, in which she declared: 'Net zero by 2050 is impossible.
'I don't say that with pleasure. Or because I have some ideological desire to dismantle it – in fact, we must do what we can to improve our natural world.
'I say it because anyone who has done any serious analysis knows it can't be achieved without a serious drop in our living standards or by bankrupting us.'
It marked a departure from the past decade of Tory green energy policy after successive prime ministers backed legally binding targets. The 2050 target was signed into law by Theresa May in 2019.
In a draft speech for the annual Sam Baker Memorial Lecture, seen by The Telegraph, Sir James at no point refers to Mrs Badenoch by name, nor specifically cites the net zero 2050 target.
But the substance of his remarks casts him as a pro-green Conservative politician, as he says that the UK 'must push further, faster, and smarter' on green technology.
The former foreign secretary will say: 'Conservative governments have made remarkable strides in offshore wind energy.
'Our ambitious policies have driven investment, positioning the UK as a global clean energy superpower. This is not just about installing turbines; it's a strategic vision linking energy policy with our economic and national security priorities.'
He will add: 'We are caught between two tribes of Neo-Luddites: The negative Right, claiming that the way things are now is just fine, [that] concerns about emissions, habitat loss, and falling yields are scaremongering.
'Their motto: all change, even for the better, is a bad idea. And the negative Left, suspicious of technology. Believing things were better before the car, the internal combustion engine, before the steam engine, before the wheel.
'The 'let's not move forward' tribe is in a bidding war with the 'let's move backwards' tribe. They're both wrong.'
The comments will be seen as an attack on both Labour and Reform UK, with Nigel Farage having pledged to scrap net zero subsidies.
The CEN said that Mrs Badenoch made a 'mistake' by dropping the net zero 2050 target. Reacting to her speech in March, the think tank said that her speech 'undermines the significant environmental legacy of successive Conservative governments who provided the outline of a credible plan for tackling climate change'.
'Never say never again'
Sir James has kept a relatively low profile since losing out to Mrs Badenoch in the party leadership contest last year and heading to the party's backbenches.
After a particularly successful Conservative Party Conference in October, he shot to the top of the MPs' ballot before unexpectedly crashing out in the final round of MP voting.
A blame game ensued, with some claiming that Grant Shapps, the head of Sir James's campaign, got his numbers wrong and too many MPs engaged in tactical voting for other candidates.
But in a GB News interview in April, he did not rule out another leadership tilt, adding: 'I just say, never say never again.'
After Mrs Badenoch took over from Rishi Sunak last November, the Tories briefly enjoyed a small poll lead over Labour and were in first place on 29 per cent.
But a haemorrhaging of support to Reform UK since has been blamed for the party's dwindling fortunes, with the Tories coming fourth behind them, Labour and the Liberal Democrats in a recent poll.
The Tory leader's supporters say that another leadership election could damage the party even further and cause a further slip in support.
