UK must ‘speed up, not slow down’ in drive to net zero, insists Ed Miliband
Ed Miliband has told MPs that Britain should “speed up, not slow down” in the drive to net zero.
Giving evidence to the House of Commons environmental audit committee, the energy secretary said that the government remains of the belief that economic growth and net zero “go absolutely hand in hand”.
Miliband told MPs: “This government sees no contradiction between net zero and economic growth. We believe they go absolutely hand in hand because net zero is a major contributor to growth — [it] can be.
“And the climate crisis is the biggest long-term economic threat our country faces.”
He added: “All of the evidence about our national interest says we should speed up, not slow down… The economic opportunities are going to go to those who lead, not those who hang back. And on climate, most recently in Los Angeles, we’ve seen the climate crisis is real…
“There are siren voices in the UK who are saying we should step back from this agenda, that now’s the time to give up on climate action because it is not in our national interest. And I think this is a massive fight about the future of our country.”
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