On the list of things a climate emergency-facing world does not need right now, the appointment of a climate denying, “fossil-fuel devoted” Conservative to the role of energy minister in the UK is right up there. But here we are.
News emerged early on Wednesday that Jacob Rees-Mogg has been appointed by the new PM, Liz Truss, as Secretary of State for business, energy and industrial strategy, to take the reins at the height of both the global energy crisis and the transition to net zero.
A quick scan of the British press and social media following the announcement of the appointment reveals a career MP who has variously advocated for syphoning “every last cubic inch of gas” from the North Sea, for the resumption of fracking, and for the rejection of wind farms.
Rees-Mogg also holds a significant stake in Somerset Capital Management, an investment house that earlier this year raced to divest its shares in four Russian firms, including in natural gas producer Novatek. According to a report in The Sun, Rees-Mogg’s wife, Helena de Chair, is a writer for an oil industry trade magazine.
“Rees-Mogg is the last person who should be in charge of the energy brief, at the worst possible moment,” said Rebecca Newsom, head of politics at Greenpeace UK, as quoted by The Guardian.
“He blamed ‘climate alarmism’ for high energy bills, pushing David Cameron to ‘cut the green crap’ like incentives for solar, wind and energy efficiency, which has added £150 to every energy bill,” Newsom said.
“Appointing him to the brief now suggests the Tories have learned nothing from years of energy policy incompetence.”
OMG she’s only gone & done it 😱 @trussliz has put fossil fuel loving, deregulation-obsessed Jacob Rees Mogg in charge of both energy & climate crises -he is not a serious person & this is not a serious Government. Can only hope he wakes up in time to recognise scale of emergency pic.twitter.com/QYY4dGUd36
— Caroline Lucas (@CarolineLucas) September 6, 2022
British Labour MP Richard Burgon took to Twitter to describe Rees-Moggs’ appointment as “an act of climate vandalism.”
A separate Guardian report notes that even Senior Tories were worried about Rees-Mogg’s appointment, with one former minister cited as saying it was “not very encouraging” but that they hoped he would stick to Johnson’s commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
For all of his faults, now ex-PM Boris Johnson came to the role of with the promise to take “urgent action” on climate change and to “get to net zero as soon as possible.”
As Australian climate policy continued to founder and embarrass, in October of 2021 Johnson easily ushered through his plan to reach net zero by 2050, and a zero carbon grid by 2035.
This included a £26 billion ‘Ten Point Plan’ to respond to climate change and expand the UK’s offshore wind and low emissions hydrogen industries and support the further adoption of electric vehicles and other green transport options.
And Johnson’s then energy secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, was right there with him, touting the huge economic opportunities available to those countries who were similarly proactive in their responses to climate change.
“There is a global race to develop new green technology, kick-start new industries and attract private investment,” Kwarteng said.
“The countries that capture the benefits of this global green industrial revolution will enjoy unrivalled growth and prosperity for decades to come – and it’s our job to ensure the UK is fighting fit.”
In an interview with Sky News immediately after his appointment, Rees-Mogg said it was the energy crisis that was at the forefront the new government’s agenda.
“Truss is a different personality from Boris Johnson,” he said. “Liz is very focused on policy answers and getting those up and running as soon as possible and getting energy into the machinery of government and decisions that are made and acted upon.”
Jacob’s Special Advisors for Energy report for work. pic.twitter.com/pU9VpMyRwp
— Mr Ian Visible 👀 (@Ian_Visible) September 6, 2022
Indeed, Truss presents her very own set of problems for climate and renewables, as DeSmog Blog reported here on Tuesday, with deep links to fossil fuel lobby groups and a noted dislike of solar farms and green energy support policies.
The Guardian reports that Truss’ new chief economic adviser, Matthew Sinclair, is the author of a book called “Let Them Eat Carbon,” which questions the cost of climate action to living standards, and of papers including The Case Against Further Green Taxes.
