Overview
- In a podcast interview, Boris Johnson said he has “lost none of my zeal” for net zero, though he accepted the transition may need to proceed more slowly.
- He argued the UK will have to use more hydrocarbons for now to lower energy bills, setting cheaper power as the priority for the next five years.
- Johnson warned that soaring electricity demand from AI will worsen cost pressures without faster growth in affordable clean generation.
- His comments follow public critiques from Theresa May and John Major, making him the third former Conservative prime minister to oppose the party’s anti-net zero shift.
- Kemi Badenoch’s proposed repeal of the Climate Change Act would remove legally binding carbon budgets and disband the Climate Change Committee in favor of a cheaper-energy-first strategy.