Farage 2022 net zero claims
In 2022, Nigel Farage has launched a campaign for a referendum on the government’s pledge to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. In an article in the Daily Mail at the time Farage made a number of claims related to net zero. Read the claims and the debunking of them here.
Reform UK 2024 election manifesto – scrap net zero and adapt to global warming
- There was no mention of the net zero referendum in the manifesto.
- It calls for “scraping Net Zero and related subsidies.” That this would save £30 billion per year over 25 years, based on Reform estimates that are disputed by government climate experts.
- Reform’s website states that Britain should “adapt to [global] warming, rather than pretend we can stop it.” The party calls for fracking and more nuclear energy to reduce energy costs for British people.
(Sources: https://www.politico.eu/article/nigel-farage-manifesto-you-dont-have-to/, https://www.politico.eu/article/nigel-farage-reform-uk-new-party-targets-net-zero-for-uk-election/)
Response to Reform claims it would save £30bn per year.
“The UK government is currently spending about £8bn per year on investment in emissions reduction, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). And the Climate Change Committee estimates economy-wide investment costs, including in households purchasing electric vehicles and domestic heat pumps, will be around £50bn per year in the coming decade.
However, there are also projected to be savings to households from these zero carbon forms of energy relative to relying on fossil fuels in the coming decades. Most economists judge that the costs of the UK failing to pursue net zero will ultimately be greater than the costs of achieving it. The OBR produced a scenario of “unmitigated global warming” in 2021 which showed UK public sector net debt rising to 300% of GDP by the end of the century due to economic shocks of a hotter climate.” (Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqll1edxgw4o)
Reform UK U-turn on climate change denial in 2024
During Richard Tice’s leadership of Reform UK until 2024, he promoted climate change denial. Since Farage took over in 2024, the denialism has been removed from the Reform website, with Farage accepting the science of climate change but downplaying the need to act.
2025 anti-net zero slogans – energy bills going up and industrial massacre
From March 2025, Reform have been pushing their anti-net zero narrative and focusing on net zero causing public and private energy bills going up resulting in high costs for households and British chemicals, steel & cars industries being “massacred.”
(Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3x3Q-XNx2I, https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/33704792/net-zero-killing-uk-industry-farage/)
Response
- The UK net zero economy grew by 10% in 2024 and its share of the economy is growing according to a CBI report. Generating more of our own energy also helps with energy security.
- Reform’s opposition to net zero also serves an electoral purpose by positioning Reform against a key policy of the government, they aim to appeal to voters frustrated with high energy costs and job losses, linking them to green transition.
- Reform try to claim that renewable energy is responsible for rising energy costs. The real cause of the UK’s energy crisis is:
- Over-reliance on Imported Gas: The UK’s heavy dependence on imported natural gas, exacerbated by geopolitical instability (like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine), has made energy prices volatile.
- Domestic Heating: Natural gas is still the dominant source for heating UK homes, making the country vulnerable to global price shocks.
- Renewables’ Long-Term Benefits: Renewables, such as wind and solar, can help reduce dependence on gas and bring long-term cost stability to the energy system. Heat pumps, powered by renewable electricity, are part of the solution for reducing heating costs and cutting carbon emissions.
- While Tice argues that net zero is harmful, some of Reform’s proposed policies could actually worsen the situation:
- Generation Tax on Renewables: If Reform imposes higher taxes on renewable energy companies, these costs could be passed on to consumers, ultimately raising energy bills instead of lowering them.
- Short-Term vs. Long-Term: Reform’s plan to scrap net zero could result in short-term savings for businesses, but it risks long-term energy insecurity and higher costs as fossil fuel supplies dwindle.
- Energy Independence: By opposing renewable energy, Reform risks keeping the UK reliant on foreign energy sources, particularly natural gas, instead of investing in domestic energy production (like offshore wind or solar). This approach undercuts the concept of “Britain first” energy security, which could resonate with voters seeking energy independence.
- Public Sentiment and Electoral Risk: Despite Reform’s position, public support for net zero and renewable energy remains strong. Polls show that only around 16% of people oppose net zero, and many view renewables as a potential solution to the cost-of-living crisis, rather than a cause of it.
(Sources: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/24/britain-net-zero-economy-booming-cbi-green-sector-jobs-energy-security, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSbSh5oe6sU)
STOP REFORM UK 