Party conferences show UK climate action at crossroads

Britain’s political parties spent their conference season sending mixed signals on climate policy, with the Conservatives threatening to scrap low-carbon building rules while the Greens embraced nuclear power. The Tories’ plan to ditch the future homes standard (FHS) would mean new houses could be built without solar panels, heat pumps or high-grade insulation, potentially locking in higher bills for decades. Kemi Badenoch made scrapping the FHS a central plank of her bid to become prime minister, but the announcement gained little attention compared to the party’s inheritance tax plans. The UK needs around 6 million new homes, and the Tories quoted estimates of £30,000 per house for the green measures. Yet the real cost at the point of building is likely much lower—around £5,000 to £8,000 for heat pumps, solar panels, batteries and insulation. Retrofitting later would cost more than £20,000.

Jan Rosenow, professor of climate and energy policy at the University of Oxford, said every fossil-fuel home built today is a liability for occupants. “What we need is less political point scoring and more long-term clarity,” he said. The housebuilding industry has been preparing for the FHS for years, according to the UK Green Building Council. Chief executive Simon McWhirter warned that reversing course would “risk slowing progress towards building the homes that people want and need.”

Greens shift on nuclear and Labour’s energy plans

The Green party resolved last weekend to abandon its long-held opposition to nuclear power, though it would still prioritise renewables. Green MPs could now support new reactors, recognising their potential role in low-carbon generation. But Paul Dorfman, chair of the Nuclear Consulting Group, said the party had taken a wrong turn. He argued that new nuclear diverts scarce resources from faster options like renewables, storage and efficiency.

At Labour’s conference, Andy Burnham made only passing references to climate and pollution crises. He announced a publicly owned body to invest in the energy grid alongside the privatised National Grid, which has been criticised for slow progress on upgrades. The party also promised a community fund for planting 500,000 trees across England. Ami McCarthy of Greenpeace UK said Labour has a clear plan but needs to deliver it, starting with a “full-throated rejection of any scramble for fossil fuels in the North Sea.”

Voters and the road ahead

Robbie MacPherson, a former head of the UK’s all-party parliamentary group on climate, said no winning political strategy can include environmental regression. He added that voters won’t reward politicians who kill employment opportunities or fail to keep Britain safe. With an El Niño weather system brewing, campaigners warned that failure to tackle climate damage would prove costly. Rosie Downes of Friends of the Earth said parties need to get back in touch with reality.

The decision on the future of the Rosebank and Jackdaw drilling sites was reportedly postponed for the byelection. McCarthy said that decision would “truly define this government’s legacy on climate.” As extreme heat and droughts become regular threats, concern about climate change is on the rise and cannot be ignored.