Green County Councillor Gina Dowding asked the leader of the Council at the Cabinet meeting on 10 July whether he agreed with the science on climate change. While he said he agreed with the science, he didn’t agree with subsidising renewable energy or energy efficiency measures with taxpayers’ money.
At Full Council the following week, The Cabinet Member for the Environment, County Cllr Joshua Roberts, would not give a ‘yes or no’ answer to the same question.
Cllr Dowding said:
“Reform leaders claim that climate resilience is too expensive for taxpayers – yet they are willing to allow even bigger subsidies to the fossil fuels sector, including corporation tax relief on North Sea oil and gas investments.”
Between 2015 and 2023 the fossil fuel sector received roughly £20 billion more in total Government support than renewables, i.e. £80 bn for fossil fuels versus around £60 bn for renewables. A fifth of the money given directly to the fossil fuels sector was to support new extraction and mining.”
Cllr Dowding added:
“It is not difficult to work out why Reform UK do not want to challenge fossil fuel subsidies. Their party is financed by backers with huge oil and gas interests.
“Reform must fully commit to much-needed action to make us more resilient to climate impacts, and to measures that will reduce polluting emissions from our buildings and homes, transport and industry. Warm homes with lower bills, food security and resilience to flooding would benefit all residents in Lancashire.”