Labour vetoes ex-Barclays chief Ian Cheshire for net zero job after diversity row
The Climate Change Committee is a statutory physique advising the Government on greenhouse gasoline emissions targets. In 2019, it advisable that ministers undertake a goal for net zero greenhouse gases by 2050.
The watchdog opposed a sequence of modifications introduced by Rishi Sunak in September, together with pushing again the deliberate 2030 ban on the sale of petrol automobiles. It was criticised by the Prime Minister for proposing a meat tax as a part of efforts to cut back Britain’s carbon emissions.
In a letter to Mr Stuart, seen by The Telegraph, Ms James mentioned: “Your officials have shared with me a list of the candidates deemed appointable by the advisory assessment panel. I was extremely disappointed at the lack of diversity in that list, and believe it falls far short of the level required for such an important and high-profile person.”
She added: “I believe that the outcome of that process lacks credibility. Appointing any of these candidates is likely to generate justified criticism, and would undermine public confidence in the CCC, and in efforts to combat climate change. I am therefore not willing to endorse any of the candidates and request that the recruitment exercise is re-run. In re-running the exercise, every effort should be made to ensure a wide and diverse range of prospective candidates.”
‘Galvanise business action’
Sir Ian chairs the We Mean Business Coalition, a bunch of seven non-profit our bodies serving to corporations to fulfill net zero targets.
In 2022 he mentioned: “What we’re attempting to do is galvanise enterprise motion and assist to keep away from confusion.
“There’s an actual want for a coalition platform to assist chief executives who see this spaghetti soup of issues coming at them and to have a platform that claims, ‘Here are the important things around climate change. Let’s fund focused initiatives with the precise companions and make it simpler for companies to get aligned.’ ”
Last yr The Telegraph revealed that Chris Skidmore, a Conservative MP who described Mr Sunak’s leisure of net zero targets as “the greatest mistake of his premiership” was in search of ministers’ help to chair the CCC.
But final month he resigned the Tory whip and stepped down as an MP, claiming that the UK had misplaced “its climate leadership”.
A Welsh Government spokesman mentioned: “Welsh ministers have raised considerations concerning the record of candidates put ahead by the UK Government.
“The Climate Change Committee performs a crucial function in serving to all UK nations obtain net zero and construct resilience to the impacts of local weather change. Credibility is prime to its objective, as is public confidence in its voice.”
