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Jessica Elgot, The Guardian
There is widespread coverage of the news, first reported yesterday, that former Labour prime minister Tony Blair has said that the world’s current approach to tackling climate change is “failing”. The not-for-profit Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) has published a paper called: “The climate paradox: why we need to reset action on climate change.” The document does not question the urgency of tackling climate change, but calls for a “radical reset” in the way it is tackled, outlining “seven critical actions for world leaders” from “prioritising carbon capture and harnessing the power of AI, to investing in nuclear and re-directing global philanthropy towards technological breakthroughs”. The Guardian reports that “Blair has called for the government to change course on climate, suggesting a strategy that limits fossil fuels in the short term or encourages people to limit consumption is ‘doomed to fail’”. It continues: “Blair said people were ‘being asked to make financial sacrifices and changes in lifestyle when they know that their impact on global emissions is minimal’.” The newspaper notes that the paper itself was written by TBI’s Lindy Fursman, rather than Blair himself. It also says that public concern on climate change remains high in the UK, reporting: “In the UK, climate change policies have retained popularity. The thinktank Persuasion UK said in a report published on Monday that Labour could lose far more seats at the next election from disillusioned leftwing voters defecting to the Greens than from defections to Reform. The most recent YouGov poll on the subject found 66% of UK voters were worried about climate change.”
Many UK frontpages cover the story. In its frontpage coverage, the Daily Telegraph breathlessly describes the paper as a direct “attack” on prime minister Keir Starmer’s “net-zero policies”. It calls the paper a "significant intervention” and says that Blair’s “language echoes that of Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, who said last month that reaching net-zero by 2050 was ‘impossible’”. [For more on Badenoch’s recent comments, see Carbon Brief’s factcheck.] Further down in the piece, the Daily Telegraph acknowledges that “[Blair] did not refer to the British government specifically in his comments”.
A frontpage story in the Times says that Blair’s paper calls the world’s approach to climate change “irrational” and describes his intervention as the “latest sign that the mainstream consensus on green policies is collapsing”. Reporting on the current Labour government’s reaction to the report, the Times says: “One Labour source said that Blair’s intervention was a ‘public tantrum’ and was ‘really unhelpful’. They pointed to the fact that Blair’s organisation, the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, has advised the government of Saudi Arabia…Blair’s intervention, days before the local elections, was met with anger in government as it could bolster opposition parties. Reform and the Conservatives have criticised the government’s net-zero policies. However, there are also concerns Labour will lose votes to the Greens.” It adds that “an ally of Starmer” said: “[Starmer] has been consistently clear that he sees net-zero as one of the key growth opportunities for the British economy, which is why it was in the manifesto that helped deliver the biggest gain of Labour seats in a general election since 1945.” The i newspaper also carries the story on its frontpage with the headline: “Blair blows hole in Labour’s net-zero plan.”
BBC News notes that Blair’s report “does not call for Labour to halt its push to decarbonise the UK economy, but says all governments need to rethink their approach, as it is not working”. Describing the TBI paper as a “dramatic intervention”, the Independent says that “sources close to the energy secretary have hit back, pointing out that the green agenda Mr Miliband is pursuing was in Labour’s election manifesto and that Sir Keir has described them as part of ‘the DNA of the party’”. The Press Association carries comments from a UK government spokesperson, who says: “We will reach net-zero in a way that treads lightly on people’s lives, not by telling them how to live or behave. Clearly there’s going to be a range of views but we are of the view that this is an enormous economic opportunity and as the prime minister has made clear, we’re already seeing the benefit.”
Emily Beament, Press Association
Several publications cover a new report from the UK’s Climate Change Committee (CCC) finding the nation is “critically unprepared” for the impacts of climate change. The Press Association reports that the UK’s official climate advisers “accus[ed] the government of inaction in the face of impending floods, heatwaves, droughts and wildfires”. It continues: “A new report from the independent advisory body highlights a stark lack of progress since its 2023 assessment, raising concerns that crucial funding for safeguarding communities and vital services like the NHS could be slashed in upcoming spending reviews.” The Guardian carries comments from Lady Brown, the chair of the adaptation subgroup of the CCC, who says: “We are seeing no change in activity from the new government, despite the fact that…it’s clear to the public that the current approach just isn’t working. The country is at risk, people are at risk, and there is not enough being done.” BBC News describes the report as “highly critical”. Bloomberg focuses on the CCC’s concerns over potential cuts to flooding spending to be announced by the UK government in June. It quotes Julia King, chair of the CCC’s adaptation group, as saying: “We are seriously concerned that resilience and climate adaptation may be cut in the spending review…I know the government is under a lot of pressure to make cuts, but this isn’t the easy one to cut.” The government said it would respond “carefully” to the report’s findings, Bloomberg adds.
In other UK news, BBC News reports that Scotland's last oil refinery has stopped processing crude oil at Grangemouth after 100 years of operations. The Daily Express reports that, speaking in parliament, Scottish Labour MP Brian Leishman accused his government of not doing enough to ensure a “just transition” for Grangemouth oil workers. The Independent reports that the boss of plastics giant Ineos has warned carbon taxes are “killing manufacturing” in the UK. Politico reports that Starmer is relying on “green patriotism” for the transition away from fossil fuels. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has a comment piece in the Daily Express pledging to make changes to Labour’s “farm tax” if elected to power. The Press Association reports that the Local Government Association has called for solar panels to be installed as a requirement on all new homes to help meet climate targets and cut household bills. The Press Association also reports on new proposals where UK households “will be able to choose from more options to upgrade their home heating systems with the help of government grants”. BBC News reports that the head of the company developing the UK’s largest solar farm has said the technology can be “part of the solution” for food security. BBC News also reports that the European Space Agency has successfully launched a first-of-a-kind satellite, built in the UK, for “weighing” the world’s 1.5tn trees. CNN reports on a UK project to capture carbon in the sea. Finally, Sky News reports that parts of the UK could reach 29C this week as the country continues to experience above-average temperatures.
Ian Johnston and David Sharrock, Financial Times
Spain and Portugal are “rushing” to restore vital infrastructure following a huge blackout, which received blanket media coverage yesterday, the Financial Times reports. It says: “Widespread disruption continued in Madrid, Barcelona and other cities on Tuesday morning after the blackout paralysed transport and communications across much of Spain and Portugal, even as both countries said they had fully restored power supplies.” Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez said private energy companies “would be held accountable for any shortcomings”, the newspaper says, continuing: “Eduardo Prieto, operations director for Red Eléctrica (RE), said the grid company, after consultations with Spain’s intelligence services, had found no evidence of a cyber attack designed to bring down the network…He also appeared to rule out any weather phenomenon as the cause. Prieto said the grid operator had still not identified the cause of the outage but said it followed a collapse in supply from south-west Spain.” There are many explainers, comment pieces and editorials reacting to the widespread blackout and the possible role of renewable energy (see below).
Joe Lo, Climate Home News
There is continued coverage of Liberal’s victory in Canada’s election, with Climate Home News noting that “Canadians chose Mark Carney, a former central banker and UN climate envoy as their prime minister, rejecting the anti-climate action Conservative Party of Pierre Poilievre”. It continues: “The election result means that the climate policies of the world’s 12th-biggest emitter will be broadly unchanged, as the Liberals – under Justin Trudeau and now Carney – have governed the North American nation since 2015. At the time of publication, it was still unclear whether the centre-left party had won a majority of seats in Canada’s parliament.” BusinessGreen reports that the result shows that climate action is “still a winning proposition in Canada”.
Chen Qingqing, Global Times
The “national average temperature” in April reached 12.7C, the second-hottest April since 1961, according to China Meteorological Administration, state-supporting newspaper Global Times reports. The newspaper adds that some regions in China have also been experiencing “severe to extreme droughts”, with southern China's Guangxi province facing the “lowest precipitation level” since 1961.
Meanwhile, China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the National Energy Administration (NEA) have issued a notice on “comprehensively accelerating the construction of the electricity spot market” (现货市场), industry news outlet BJX News reports. (The “electricity spot market” is where power is sold and purchased in a “short time frame, usually for immediate, same-day or next-day delivery, at prices determined by supply and demand”, according to business outlet Caixin.) China Energy Net also covers the notice, saying the market is expected to “achieve near-full coverage nationwide” by the end of 2025. The NDRC and NEA have also issued the “basic rules” for the establishment of the “national electricity auxiliary services market” (电力辅助服务市场), to accelerate the construction of a “unified national electricity market” , reports BJX News. The NEA official explains at a press conference that this market provides “adjusting” services for power generation, consumption and usage, according to another article by BJX News.
Elsewhere, state news agency Xinhua publishes a report under the headline: “China promotes development of private economy in energy sector.” Huang Runqiu, the head of China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment, says that “China achieved all of its 2024 goals for ecological and environmental improvement, with many targets surpassed”, state-run newspaper China Daily reports.
In other news, the Financial Times says that Chinese automakers expanding into the EU are “being forced to readjust their short-term ambitions” due to tariffs imposed by Brussels. Xinhua publishes an article under the headline: “Chinese firms upbeat about digital, green economy cooperation prospects in EU, Australia.” And the Communist Party-affiliated newspaper People’s Daily publishes an article compiling experts’ opinions on China’s “active role in global climate governance” on the 10 years anniversary of the Paris Agreement. |
