Why the UK’s Conservatives have given up on climate

After 14 years as a member of Parliament for the UK’s Conservative Party, Chris Skidmore quit the government in January — an act of protest over Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s decision to allow new oil and gas licenses. Skidmore says the party has lost its way when it comes to climate issues, costing the UK lives, jobs and opportunities for economic growth. In this episode, Skidmore also discusses the Net Zero Review he published while in office, and talks through climate solutions emerging outside of Westminster. Explore further: • Past episode with Chris Stark of the UK’s Climate Change Committee • about whether the era of climate consensus is over • Past episode with Bryony Worthington, one of the authors of the UK’s Climate Change Act • Past episode with three US governors– Republican and Democrat– about how they navigate partisan politics and the need for climate action. Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim and Alicia Clanton. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

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