Outrage + Optimism’s Post

Last week our Humor of the Week featured the ridiculously laughable excuses by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to void his nation’s climate commitments. Our Good News this week is that he and his Conservative party were surprisingly punished at the polls for his climate walk back with losses in two local elections normally won by Conservatives by more than 20%. Business Green said the Conservatives had “misread the public mood on green issues” and failed in their attempt to make the case with their voters. These are “historic” results and “a brutal reality check for the Prime Minister,” Greenpeace UK’s head of politics Rebecca Newsom told Business Green. She continued, “Sunak’s cynical attack on climate action, his ditching of green policies, and attempts to drag net zero into his culture war strategy have failed to shift the dial with voters.” Check out our e-Newsletter for more on the downfall of anti-climate policies: https://lnkd.in/eh6WJZcE Article by Alliance President Terry Gips. #goodnews #allianceforsustainability #SHEKindness #RishiSunak#climatecommitments #climatesolutions #decarbonization#netzeropolicies #netzero #climatepolicies #UnitedKingdom#climatechange #climatecrisis #climateemergency #climateaction#climatecolutions #fossilfuels #NoPlanetB #PeopleNotProfit#britishprimeminister

📢 Breaking News: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced a surprise #GeneralElection in the UK on July 4th, with #ClimateChange, #Nature, and the #NetZero transition expected to take center stage. 📝 In his announcement, Mr. Sunak highlighted the importance of #EnergySecurity and #ClimateChangeMitigation. Green and environmental groups are urging ambitious #ClimateAction, urgency of #decarbonization policies, and emphasizing the need for a comprehensive approach to #CleanEnergy and #EnvironmentalProtection. 💡This election is pivotal for #ClimatePolicy. Business and environmental advocates are calling on politicians to prioritize green initiatives to meet the UK's #NetZero targets and address critical environmental challenges. The campaign will be intensely focused on climate, energy, and economic issues, with significant implications for the UK's future. 🔦 Such decisive action like #UKElection2024 underscores the severity of climate change and highlights the active steps nations are taking towards its mitigation. #UrjanovaC is optimistic that, together, we can make a difference. Vikram Vishal ARNAB DUTTA Piyali Majumder Koyel Das

EXCL DATA: Tories Are Greener Than You Think Sunak is warning that ambitious climate policies will mean higher bills. This may backfire among his core who support net zero as he tries to fend off climate-skeptic Reform Rishi Sunak is warning that ambitious climate-change policies in the UK will hit taxpayers with higher bills, an election gambit that may backfire among some of his core supporters. (paywall free link below and more charts in comments) But the squeeze means he’s stuck without a clear message to either side and could lose out both in areas that are more climate friendly and those that lean anti-net zero. And his message is also far from a winner with Tory voters, who have bought into the climate agenda — literally. Analysis by Bloomberg shows that all of the UK’s top 100 constituencies for domestic solar power installations bar four voted Conservative in the last election. That’s a financial commitment aimed at cutting long-term energy costs, but it also suggests belief in a green agenda. Polls show that Tory supporters back net zero just as much as other voters. Read more with no paywall on this link from Bloomberg News https://lnkd.in/dNA-EUFg

❌ UK General Election 2024 - Rishi Sunak’s Net Zero Gamble ✖ In the upcoming July 4 general election, Rishi Sunak’s decision to roll back on net zero policies represents a significant gamble for the Conservative Party. Former Conservative minister Chris Skidmore, an advocate for climate action, warned that this approach endangers lives, jobs, and economic growth. He described Sunak’s policy changes as a critical error, suggesting it could mark the moment the Conservatives lose touch with the future needs of the country. Sunak’s “new approach to net zero,” which included delaying the end of new petrol car sales and phasing out gas boilers, has sparked debate. While this move aimed to align with a growing backlash against green policies, early signs indicate it might repel more voters than it attracts, especially among younger, environmentally-conscious graduates. The initial political fallout has been evident in recent by-elections and local elections, where the Conservatives suffered notable losses. Prominent Conservative leaders who supported green investments, like Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen, fared better, highlighting a divide within the party. As the election approaches, the question remains: Will Sunak’s net zero rollback prove to be a strategic misstep or a calculated move that could reshape the political landscape? The outcome will have far-reaching implications for the Conservative Party’s legacy in climate leadership and the broader fight against climate change. #UKPolitics #NetZero #ClimateAction #GeneralElection2024 #RishiSunak #ConservativeParty #GreenPolicies #PoliticalStrategy #ClimateLeadership #NotZero #ChrisSkidmore #Election #ClimateChange

If the Inflation Reduction Act helps the US slash emissions will it matter to voters, particularly in swing states? "Almost three-quarters, or 71 percent, of Americans said they have heard little or nothing about the bill, according to a Washington Post-University of Maryland poll... And the same survey found Biden hadn’t earned much credit from voters; 57 percent of those polled said they disapproved of his handling of climate change." #inflationreductionact #politicalrisk #democrats #republicans #independents #climatechange #politicalparties #leadership #government #economicimpact #emissions #societalimpact #voters #emissionsreduction

With the UK general election on the horizon, it's a prime opportunity for a fresh start! Discover how industry innovation and government support can pave the way for a prosperous, sustainable future.  📚 Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/e8M8Wv5g #Sustainability #Innovation #UKPolitics #EconomicGrowth #EliteBusinessMagazine

Tedd A. With Inflation Reduction Act, U.S. is on the cusp of 'biggest economic revolution' in generations. Several credible studies reveal the actual benefits... Jay Maybruck Jay Maybruck We stand at the precipice of a new era. To achieve this we must: 1. Re-elect President Biden. 2. Win the House for Democrats. 3. Keep Democratic control of the Senate with enough votes to alter the filibuster. All 3 or nothing gets done. #election2024 #CorporateKnights #InflationReductionAct

On 20 September 2023, Rishi Sunak, UK Prime Minister, announced a damaging climate change reduction u-turn. In one of his biggest policy changes since taking office, Sunak declared that the UK would push back the 2030 deadline for selling new petrol and diesel cars and the phasing out of gas boilers. Such action raises the question of whether the u-turn is intergenerationally unfair by potentially leaving younger and future generations at higher risk from the damaging effects of climate change. Lotte Foster, IF student volunteer, explains the u-turns: https://lnkd.in/eQ757WMP #intergenerationalfairness #intergenerationalequity #intergenerational #thefuture #futuregenerations #generations #intergenerationaljustice #climate #climatecrisis #climatejustice #environment #environmentaljustice

Breaking News 🚨 Today, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a general election will be held on July 4, ending months of speculation. This election is pivotal. Recently, the UK Government faced its second court defeat by Friends of the Earth, ClientEarth, and Good Law Project for failing to meet its greenhouse gas emission targets. These legal victories underscore the urgent need for robust environmental policies. Whoever wins this election will have a unique opportunity to champion sustainability, safeguarding nature while promoting responsible business practices as a catalyst for sustainable change. Sunak's green policy reversal highlights the critical role of leadership in our environmental future. This election can be a transformative turning point for both people and the planet. It's an opportunity to advocate for sustainable policies and practices that will benefit current and future generations. #BlueEarthSummit #Sustainability #ClimateAction #GeneralElection2024

Climate vs Aging vs Defence: the triangular fiscal tug-of-war that will shape European politics in the years to come. Here is a quote from a recent and outstanding interview with macroeconomist Charles Goodhart, in the FT: "We’re in for a fiscal crisis down the road [because of population aging]. We don’t know how to solve it. And politicians always say ‘we know what we should do, we don’t know how to get re-elected if we do it.’ It’s difficult given the other problems that we have — climate and defence expenditures." Public finances are tight and will force difficult choices on governments. Senior citizens tend to vote much more than younger people do; as their share of the population increases, their fiscal interests will be taken care of. The rise in defence expenditures has been forced on European nations by an external force called Mr Putin. Another one, called Mr Trump, might increase the pressure further by forcing Europe to contain Russia on its own. What about climate? Leading towards net-zero was forced on European nations (or at least some of them) by the conscience of their populations. In the UK and several others, it had acquired a quasi-constitutional status, with a strong cross-party consensus allowing for ambitious, stable policies across the political cycle. Last week, the UK became the first country to have halved its CO2 emissions from their peak. But as we know, the consensus has been fraying, in the UK and across Europe. Although it would be premature to say that Europeans are turning their back on ambitious climate policies, it is clear that the enormous fiscal demands from rapidly aging populations and a dramatic return of war on the continent, do not make for supportive conditions as the drive towards net-zero enters more expensive and socially intrusive phases (industry, housing, transport and diets). #climatepolicy #netzero #defence #defense #fiscalpolicy #agingpopulation https://lnkd.in/egvAsCeF