Addressing the audience at The Big Zero Show in Coventry, Chris Skidmore stressed the urgency of achieving net zero emissions.
The man who wrote net zero into law and authored the Mission Zero report highlighted the significant progress made by the UK, noting a reduction in emissions by 51% and a rise in electric vehicle sales from one in 20 cars to one in five over the past five years.
The headline speaker of The Big Zero Show pointed out the economic opportunities in transitioning industries towards renewable energy, emphasising the need to avoid creating “stranded assets and jobs“.
Chris Skidmore mentioned the sharp decline in electricity generated from fossil fuels, from 74% in 2010 to 1% today, underscoring the increase in renewable energy contributions.
Calling for bipartisan cooperation in the pursuit of climate goals, Mr Skidmore asserted that whoever is elected in 48 hours will be responsible for achieving the UK’s 2030 targets.
He stated, “We can achieve what we need to achieve. After all, carbon dioxide knows no political colours. One of the greatest challenges for us all is to put our parts of politics aside and recognise that whoever is in government is going to be the stewards of delivery, of decarbonisation and net zero.
“And whoever is elected in 48 hours time, they are going to be the stewards of whether the UK achieves its 2030 goals.”
The importance of maintaining leadership in global climate action was also stressed, with Skidmore referencing the UK’s pioneering role in committing to net zero among G7 countries.
Emphasising the need for policies that support the transition to renewable energy and heat pumps, he highlighted the goal of 600,000 heat pumps by 2028.
“Whoever that government is, whoever is elected, they will have to take the decisions. On whether we maintain our heat pump target of 600,000 heat pumps by 2028.
“That’s achievable. For me, it was always the other target of making sure heat pumps were cheaper to build and install than gas boilers. That was the more important target to achieve by 2028.”
Highlighting the necessity of making heat pumps cheaper to build and install than gas boilers, Skidmore viewed this as a crucial target for 2028.
He concluded by urging a long term, mission-based approach to net zero, viewing it as an opportunity rather than a cost.
Chris Skidmore said: “I set out six core pillars of how to deliver net zero successfully. And one of those two core pillars was net zero and the community, net zero and the individual.
“We do need to take the people with us. We need to provide the right policy frameworks to support people on the journey.
“Make sure that we give people that sense of hope, that sense of opportunity, that they will see that they will have greater energy security rather than relying on fossil fuels, that they will see new jobs.”
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