The Conservative Party has announced plans to abandon the UK’s 2050 net-zero target, signalling a major shift in the nation’s approach to climate policy and energy security.
Party leader Kemi Badenoch said the move would pave the way for a new strategy built around “cheap and reliable energy”, arguing that the current legal framework had “tied Britain in red tape, loaded us with costs, and done nothing to cut global emissions”.
The decision marks a decisive break from the cross-party consensus that has shaped British climate policy for nearly two decades. The UK’s Climate Change Act 2008, introduced by the last Labour government, legally committed the country to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent by 2050. Under Theresa May’s premiership in 2019, this was strengthened to a binding net-zero by 2050 target — requiring the UK to cut or offset all carbon emissions within 25 years.
Environmental groups have condemned the Conservative shift as “an act of national self-harm”, warning it risks undermining investment in renewables, agri-innovation and low-carbon technologies at a critical time. Labour described the policy reversal as “an economic disaster and a total betrayal of future generations”.
Former Prime Minister Baroness Theresa May also criticised the move, calling it “a retrograde step that upends 17 years of consensus between our main political parties and the scientific community”. She warned that while political views may have changed, “the science remains the same”.
The Climate Change Committee, established under the 2008 Act, currently advises government on how to meet legally binding emissions targets and reports annually on progress. Its latest assessment warned that the UK was already falling behind on key milestones, including energy efficiency, renewable rollout and low-carbon transport.
Badenoch has previously said that achieving net zero by 2050 is “impossible” and has pledged to “maximise” oil and gas extraction from the North Sea to protect energy security and affordability.
The policy pivot aligns the Conservatives with Reform UK, which has also vowed to drop net-zero commitments if elected, blaming the target for higher energy bills and industrial decline.
For the UK’s agritech and renewable sectors, the shift could have wide-ranging implications. Industry experts warn that retreating from net-zero ambitions risks deterring long-term investment in agricultural innovation, carbon-smart farming and climate-resilient food production — areas where the UK has, until now, been seen as a global leader.
