Backlash over Tony Blair's net zero swipe as ex-PM accused of 'talking nonsense'

Tony Blair has been blasted after taking a swipe at the Government's net zero plans.

The former Prime Minister sparked consternation in ranks by claiming that a strategy limiting fossil fuels in the short term is "doomed to fail". Sir Tony claimed the current approach "isn't working" - remarks that have been seized on by opponents on the left and right.

He has been accused of sending the wrong message at a crucial moment in the fight against climate change. His remarks were made in the foreword of a report by the Institute, warning that in many countries voters feel they're being asked to make sacrifices "when they know that their impact on global emissions is minimal".

In a statement on Wednesday morning the Institute said the report is clear that it supports the Government's 2050 net zero target to cut emissions. Lady Brown, a member of the independent Climate Change Committee, told Radio 4's Today programme: “My concern is that people might take away a message from that report that we should do adaptation instead of mitigation, and that is absolutely the wrong message.

“We need to do adaptation, because even if we get to net zero by mid-century, there’s still a huge amount of climate change to come, and we need to be ready for that. But we can’t adapt to everything."

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And Labour donor and climate change campaigner Dale Vince went further, accusing Sir Tony of talking "nonsense". He said: “This from Tony Blair is net zero nonsense.

"He talks of growing fossil demand from , when in fact it has peaked. He says we need less focus on renewable energy and more on carbon capture – one is cheap and abundant and prevents carbon emissions, the other is an incredibly expensive way of trying to deal with emissions. Prevention (green energy) is always better and cheaper than the cure.”

Recent polling by YouGov found that 61% people support the Government's pledge to reach net zero by 2050. It found that 24% said they opposed it, with 15% saying they didn't know.

Environment Secretary Steve Reed told Times Radio he does not agree that Sir Tony's intervention is a "public tantrum". He said: "He's making a valid and important contribution to a very significant debate that we're having.

"I agree with much of what he said, but not absolutely every word and dot and comma of it." Green Party MP Sian Berry branded it "another dodgy dossier from Blair" - a barbed reference to the infamous 2003 document produced ahead of the war.

She went on: "In reality people are being forced to live with crap services (bus cuts anyone?) and wait for huge daily cost savings and well-paid jobs in green industries thanks to this kind of visionless hogwash."

And Tory shadow environment secretary Victoria Atkins said Sir Tony's criticism is a "clear message" to the Government. She told Sky News: "If Tony Blair, even Tony Blair, doesn't agree with the Labour Government, then that is quite a clear message, I would imagine, to them, that they have got to rethink this."

In a statement the Tony Blair Institute said: "The TBI report is clear: we must prioritise technologies which capture carbon, place a bigger emphasis on protecting and enhancing nature, and develop new nuclear power, smart grids, and a new system of financing existing renewable solutions in developing economies. The UK government is already pursuing these, and their approach is the right one.

"The report also makes a plea for a different international policy approach which focuses on the global sources of emissions and the additional solutions we are likely to need to meet climate goals. It notes that ongoing domestic decarbonisation efforts in all countries remain vital for reducing emissions and delivering a sustainable future. In the short term - and we emphasise short term - fossil fuels will continue to be a large part of the global energy supply, particularly in developing countries who need to meet the immediate and increasing energy demands of their people as their economies develop.

"The report is clear that we support the government's 2050 net zero targets, to give certainty to the investors and innovators who can develop these new solutions and make them deployable. People support climate action, and it is vital that we keep the public's support for how we do it."

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