For goodness’s sake. It seems the Canary has got to do it again. Yes, we’ve got to come out and defend Keir Starmer’s Labour Party against far-right drivel. This time, it’s over his pledge at COP29 regarding the UK’s reduction in CO2 emissions. This is because Keir Starmer’s climate targets have sent gammon across the country wild.
Keir Starmer’s climate targets
As BBC News reported:
Keir Starmer has announced fresh climate change targets at a global summit, saying he wants the UK to lead on cutting emissions.
The UK will now aim for an 81% cut in its emissions by 2035, he told the UN conference of parties (COP29) in Azerbaijan.
This is known as a the UK’s nationally determined contributions” (NDCs) for carbon reduction. Some environmental groups welcomed the move by Starmer. Catherine Pettengell, Executive Director of Climate Action Network UK (CAN-UK) said:
This new UK government is signalling their intention to become a climate leader. While we would have liked to see even more ambition in today’s announcement, it is encouraging that the government actively sought and adopted the Climate Change Committee’s independent expert advice. This NDC is a signal of intent from a government only four months old – but more is needed to become a climate leader – particularly on the all important question of climate finance at this COP.
We need to see the full details in the NDC when it’s published, but with a robust delivery plan, an end to new fossil fuels, integration of the COP28 energy commitments, and alignment with the Global Biodiversity Framework this could be a solid first step to deliver for people, nature, and climate.
We welcome the prioritisation and whole-of-government approach demonstrated by the Foreign Secretary and Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero both here at COP29 alongside the Prime Minister.
However, not everyone was happy. Or rather, far-right gammon were positively foaming at the mouth.
It’s the IllUmInAtI wOt DiD iT
Wide Awake Media (no, we’re not sure who they are, either) summed up the ‘clown’ consensus among the Trump/Farage fanboys:
Speaking at COP29, UK PM Keir Starmer announces the UK's 2035 goal of reducing all greenhouse gas emissions by at least 81%. 🤡
"There is no national security, there is no economic security, there is no global security, without climate security." 🤡
"This is how we move towards… pic.twitter.com/domKnCvi9c
— Wide Awake Media (@wideawake_media) November 12, 2024
It’s the ‘COP29 Illuminati wot did it’, thinks this account – not realising that both the climate crisis and capitalists wanting to use geoengineering for their own benefit can both be true at the same time:
CO2 driven climate change is a scam.
it is a cover story for geoengenering.https://t.co/cVrs4p0aIz
— 🏴☠️ False Flag 🏴☠️ (@Vital_Vibration) November 12, 2024
Kevin Edger (“pub and drink lover”, apparently) thinks the ‘gotcha’ is China – a country whose emissions have peaked and who is now the world’s biggest renewables producer:
The UK has less than 1% of the world’s emissions and has already done the most to reduce it. This is yet more ridiculous talk from Labour, who will make Britain poorer and colder for nothing.
At the same time, countries like China have increased their emissions. https://t.co/yk2a1jEDs8
— Kevin Edger (@KEdge23) November 12, 2024
The gammon herders from TalkTV also piled in:
Mike Graham calls out Cop29 Coalition's Asad Rehman, after he says cutting 42% of emissions isn't enough and the UK needs to do more.
"It's not a fact that we're not doing enough! It's a fact we're doing more than anyone else!"@iromg pic.twitter.com/iZFm55b5OB
— Talk (@TalkTV) November 12, 2024
With Julia Hartley-Brewer forgetting we already don’t have any industry thanks to Margaret Thatcher and the Tories:
The UK has pledged an 81% cut to emissions by 2035, Sir Keir Starmer said at the COP29 conference in Azerbaijan.
Julia Hartley-Brewer: “We will easily do that because we won’t have any industry left… it’s literally insane!”@JuliaHB1 pic.twitter.com/opmtIyqehs
— Talk (@TalkTV) November 12, 2024
Oh, and the Venn Diagram for TERFS, former Olympians, and far-right conspiracy theorists got even more interesting:
I live in a listed building as many do in our beautiful old country. I always feel I’m a custodian of a tiny part of our history. Which I’m happy to do. I know I’m lucky. But..My plumbers says it would be pretty much impossible to put heat pumps into my house (replacing the gas…
— Sharron Davies MBE (@sharrond62) November 12, 2024
So, what’s the reality away from conspiracy drivel from the far-right?
The reality of Keir Starmer’s climate targets at COP29
Well, even right-wing, Murdoch owned the Times leapt to defend Starmer:
Starmer's 81% carbon target for 2035 has some people invoking various terrors about what that means.
Here's what his independent advisers suggest he prioritise. 2 key ones are making electricity cheaper & making landlords stop renting out draughty homes pic.twitter.com/Ughkp7CY41
— Adam Vaughan (@adamvaughan_uk) November 12, 2024
As Adam Vaughn pointed out, the Climate Change Committee is the one who Starmer is taking the lead off. In its report, there’s nothing remotely catastrophic. For example, it says:
- Make electricity cheaper. Removing policy costs from electricity prices will support industrial electrification and ensure the lower running costs of heat pumps compared to fossil-fuel boilers are reflected in household bills.
- Reverse recent policy rollbacks. Remove the exemption of 20% of households from the 2035 fossil-fuel boiler installation phase-out, address the gap left by removing obligations on landlords to improve the energy efficiency of rented homes and reinstate the 2030 phase-out of new fossil-fuel car and van sales. The damage of these rollbacks can be limited by quickly reinstating these policies.
- Remove planning barriers for heat pumps, electric vehicle charge points and onshore wind.
- Introduce a comprehensive programme for decarbonisation of public sector buildings.
Contrary to what conspiracy grifter James Melville tweeted, no where does the Climate Change Committee talk about 20% of us having to effectively go vegan in its current policy document Starmer is working off. It did talk about it separately last year – but as a recommendation, not some forced policy:
Keir Starmer has announced a target to cut UK emissions by 81% by 2035 whilst attending the #COP29 in Baku.
This includes…
“A 20% shift away from meat and dairy products in the next five years, and less flying.” pic.twitter.com/B6KIFdjsdV
— James Melville 🚜 (@JamesMelville) November 12, 2024
But if ‘Essex PR said it, it must be true – right?’
Keir Starmer has pledged completely unrealistic targets for the UK to hit by 2035.
Absolutely IMPOSSIBLE for us to cut emissions by 81% by then.It would mean petrol and diesel cars going, boilers going, most of our meat eating going.
I’m not going to do that @Keir_Starmer 🖕🏽
— Adam Brooks AKA EssexPR 🇬🇧 (@EssexPR) November 12, 2024
Spoiler: if that grifter said it, it’s bound to be false.
Plus, as Dave Jones (and the BBC to be fair) pointed out – this target is hardly new. It’s just Keir Starmer’s NDC has gone a little bit further than the Tories did – which is hardly a surprise:
This is (almost) not new. It's what was put into legislation in 2008, 16 years ago. It's just the UK🇬🇧 doing what it has always promised to do🤷♂️
ALSO: I'm so proud we have such ambition in UK – it's what's fair given our historical emissions👏 Cutting 4/5ths in 45 years is🤯 pic.twitter.com/2Leg9PrQKY
— Dave Jones (@CleanPowerDave) November 12, 2024
Beware Labour shafting the poor in the process
So, all in all Starmer’s announcement was hardly earth-shattering – unless you’re the far-right. However, what we do have to be cautious about in this (quite correct) drive to eliminate fossil fuel use is that the poorest people do not suffer disproportionately as a result. Because under corporate capitalism – they probably will.
As the Canary only just reported, it emerged at COP29 that a load of climate finance is already being diverted away from the Global South and into the pockets of European countries. where the finance is seeping through, it’s used for land-grabbing and displacing communities.
This is the real threat from Keir Starmer’s brand of climate policy: that it will only benefit the rich, be greenwashing (like Carbon Capture and Storage), or not be equitable for the Global South.
If the gammon spent more time thinking about this, rather than listening to Trump wannabes and believing the climate crisis is a hoax, maybe the world would be a safer place all round.
Featured image via the Canary
