Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has been accused of wielding a 'wrecking ball' against the aviation and shipping industries after Parliament approved new regulations incorporating their emissions into the UK's carbon budgets. The move, part of Carbon Budget Six (CB6) covering 2033-2037, has sparked fierce debate over its economic impact.
What the New Regulations Entail
Parliament recently approved regulations that include the UK's share of international aviation and shipping emissions in CB6 and all subsequent carbon budgets, as well as the 2050 net zero target. This follows a long-standing plan from both the current government and the previous Conservative administration to include these sectors from CB6 onwards.
The UK shipping industry alone facilitates over £950 billion in global trade annually, according to government figures.
Political Backlash
Conservative Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist criticised the measures, stating they would be “deeply damaging to the economy.” She said: “We regret that the Secretary of State is taking his economic wrecking ball to two specific industries. My worry is that aviation and shipping will now be seen as fair game to be sacrificed for the Government’s rush drive to net zero.”
Tory peer Lord Moynihan echoed these concerns, arguing that “net zero policies have hollowed out the economy” while “not a dent is made in global carbon emissions.”
Defenders of the Policy
However, the regulations also received strong support. Liberal Democrat Peer Lord Teverson remarked on the Conservative Party’s shift on net zero: “It is a shame” that there isn’t as much focus now on ensuring “the climate for our children and grandchildren is actually on the mend.”
Green Party Baroness Jones of Moulsecoombe called the criticism “absolutely ludicrous,” labelling it “climate denying nonsense.”
Government Response
Responding for the government, Energy Minister Lord Whitehead said the regulations merely provide “legal clarity” and do not introduce any new policies or targets. He noted that not prescribing a specific methodology now “allows for continued methodological developments in the period before the CB6 period commences in 2033,” ensuring the final methodology will be “fit for purpose.”
