Labour often makes the same argument. Starmer calls climate action a “huge opportunity” for the economy and job creation. Chancellor, Rachel Reeves has loosened public investment rules to direct money to energy infrastructure.
But Starmer’s decision, as opposition leader ahead of the summer’s general election, to ditch the party’s totemic £28 billion per year green investment promise, showed Labour will shift away from climate commitments under pressure. And cars are just one issue where political reality is starting to bite.
The U.K.’s aviation industry is eyeing a chance to expand airports, with Gatwick lobbying for a second runway. A decision is due in the new year — and Gatwick’s bosses hope ministers, eager to spur growth, will acquiesce. If they do, they will over-rule Whitehall’s official climate advisers, who say there should be “no net airport expansion across the U.K.”
Developers v green campaigners
Meanwhile, Labour’s promise to build 1.5 million new homes over this parliament, a pledge at the heart of its growth agenda, pits developers against campaigners worried about the environmental impact of all that building.
It also sets up a row between two wings of the green movement: Climate-conscious renewable energy developers and nature advocates worried about pylons and wind turbines damaging habitats and wildlife.
New planning legislation, designed to speed up development, is expected in early 2025.
