Playing politics with the planet: a dangerous game
Photo Courtesy: Simon Dawson
In the theatre that is UK politics in 2023, the need to address climate change has regrettably transitioned from a scientific fact to a pawn in the strategic game of electoral chess. Rishi Sunak’s recent recalibration of the UK’s climate targets exemplifies this perilous trend. Yet ironically, despite the political machinations over environmental policies like the ULEZ, leaders such as Sadiq Khan continue to enjoy strong public support, suggesting such strategies may be misfires. Regardless, whether this ‘green wedge’ to create a clear dividing line with Labour is a shrewd political move is irrelevant. The pertinent issue here is that the dilution of environmental goals rests on a grave miscalculation: the assumption that we have time to postpone decisive action on climate change for political manoeuvring.
The science is unequivocal: climate change is an immediate and accelerating threat. We are now in a situation where every fraction of a degree in temperature rise translates into heightened risks of catastrophic weather events, irreversible biodiversity loss, and human suffering, as starkly warned by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an authoritative body of the world's leading climate scientists, in their most recent report.
In fact, the crisis now transcends abstract scientific reports. If you turned on the news this past summer, you would have been forgiven for confusing the horrific scenes from wildfires in Hawaii and Canada and disasters elsewhere with an unfolding apocalypse. Pushing back the deadline for phasing out petrol and diesel cars and new North Sea oil and gas licensing legislation, which are policies entrenched in this year’s King’s Speech, do not merely represent a change in policy but a gamble with our collective future. When our house is on fire, delay is a luxury we cannot afford.
By shifting environmental milestones to court favour with specific voter segments, the UK government is not just kicking the can down the road - it is consciously widening the divide on a universally critical issue. The attempt to extend the “culture war” into the realm of climate policy is a clear signal that immediate environmental imperatives are being overshadowed by the pursuit of electoral gains.
The “culture war” narrative, which has been skilfully crafted by Conservative strategists to divide and conquer, is not just a political sideshow but a self-admitted, deliberate attempt to refract the climate change discourse through a prism of identity politics. By painting environmental concerns as the preoccupation of the 'woke' elite, they deflect attention from the universal and existential threat that climate change poses to all.
This politicisation of climate policy fosters a dangerous form of tribalism that pits communities against each other, distracting from the pressing need for collective action. Echoing this concern, the government’s own climate advisers issued a stark warning in June, describing the pace of climate action as “worryingly slow”. The recent announcement will certainly not accelerate progress, with the government’s ignoring of expert scientific advice being all too familiar.
Climate change is a unique and frankly frightening challenge that transcends political borders and party lines. COP28 is looming, and while I am doubtful of this, one hopes for a unified and adequate response, harnessing collective attention and resources from every participant in the conference. Looking closer to home, the UK once led the charge in global climate initiatives, and it must now reclaim that position, not through isolationist policies, but through fostering cross-party and international collaboration.
The planet’s health is not a negotiable or postponable issue, nor is it a matter of debate. The luxury of time and political debate are no longer ours to squander. Climate action must be extracted from the quagmire of political gamesmanship and reinstated as a non-negotiable priority. Our survival depends on it.