camelot-forum.co.uk

Rishi Sunak is facing mounting criticism for putting politics above the fight against climate change, amid clear signs that ministers are backtracking on plans to allow more onshore windfarms in England before a general election.

The Observer understands that a much-vaunted government consultation on ending what has in effect been a ban on new onshore wind projects will lead to a minimal relaxation of planning rules – because ministers do not want to anger potential Tory voters who oppose huge wind turbines in their neighbourhoods.

On Saturday night – as the Conservative party threatened to split over green policy – the former Tory environment secretary and outgoing chair of the climate change committee, Lord Deben, said it was simply unacceptable that the government was still discussing whether it was in favour of onshore wind or not when it was widely recognised as one of the cheapest forms of energy generation. The danger was also that UK industry would lose out in the resulting green industrial revolution for renewable energy to the US, China and the EU.

Deben, who is retiring this weekend after 11 years as chair of the committee that officially advises government, told the Observer: “It is unacceptable to have spent so much time discussing something which should be immediate for government. Why we need to go through all this palaver [of consulting] I am not sure.

“In effect we have stopped onshore wind. Having a basic opposition to it is just not a sensible thing.”

The decision by David Cameron’s government to ditch what he denounced as “green crap” policies will cost every household as much as £150 a year by the autumn, new analysis has shown.

With energy prices already soaring and bills set to rise even further this year, it suggests Cameron’s decisions to effectively end onshore wind projects in England, cut solar subsidies and slash energy-efficiency schemes played a large part in rising bills. It comes with the government preparing to announce its much anticipated energy strategy this week, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine further drives up energy prices. It is expected to push measures such as solar and onshore wind power generation, as well as North Sea oil projects. However, there are concerns that the Treasury is holding back more radical action.

Many of this week’s measures could reverse action taken by the coalition government. Analysis by Carbon Brief looked at the cumulative effect of ending onshore wind subsidies, cutting energy efficiency funding and scrapping a programme to make all new homes carbon neutral. It also factored in cuts to solar energy subsidies.