Ed Miliband’s State of the Climate Address – Oxford Smith School experts react
On Monday afternoon Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, gave an inaugural “State of the Climate” address in which he laid bare the impacts of climate change on the United Kingdom. Miliband chastised opposition leaders for withdrawing cross-party consensus for net zero, and pledged further support climate adaptation.
Dr Laurence Wainwright, Director of the Oxford Smith School MSc in Sustainability, Enterprise and the Environment, commented: “The impassioned address given by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change this afternoon was the first time the Starmer Government has directly addressed issues of climate and nature. In a speech of cautious optimism, Miliband framed the big picture of the environmental problems facing Britain and the world, explained why urgent action is needed, and outlined his ambitions regarding the role that Britain could and should be playing. While specific details of exactly what to do were somewhat lacking - other than brief mention of a boiler upgrade scheme - the language used – such as Nature Based Solutions – was notable; as was the fact that Miliband addressed the nature crisis and biodiversity loss as well as climate change.
“The Secretary, quite successfully, argued that climate change and nature decline pose significant risks not just in an environmental sense, but also for the economy, human health, and even the mental wellbeing of young people. But lacking was a strong case of the specific opportunities that a rapid transition to a net-zero and nature-positive society will bring about. To get the public onboard, both carrots and sticks are needed. Miliband’s somewhat stick-heavy address will likely not do much to convince those who are tired of ‘doom and gloom’ messages and need positive and precise reasons to get behind the transition.”
Sam Fankhauser, Professor of Climate Economics and Policy, commented: “In his State of the Climate address, Ed Miliband could point to a long list of cross-party achievements, from the Climate Change Act to Net Zero to COP26. Perhaps that consensus is still alive. The usual suspects made their usual comments, but the overwhelming majority of MPs called for more action on climate change”.
