In a climate crisis, this government has just made polluting more worthwhile

Reducing carbon in an effective and economical way is one of the great challenges we face, writes Chris Blackhurst. So why have the Tories just made industrial pollution more affordable?

Rishi Sunak during his visit to the Shell St Fergus gas plant in Aberdeenshire this week, where he pledged to back more than 100 new licences for oil and gas fields (PA)

The Conservative government is totally committed to green energy policies. Hang on, it’s not. To say that confusion now reigns regarding where Britain stands in relation to the pursuit of its climate agenda is an understatement.

We’ve just witnessed the hottest July on record, a heatwave in the Mediterranean accompanied by rampaging forest fires, and intense rainfall and horrendous flooding in Beijing. They’re all being blamed on climate change. What does Rishi Sunak go and do? Only grant 100 new oil and gas exploration licences in the North Sea.

He accompanied that announcement with a boost for carbon capture. So his approach looked neutral. Except that climate change is not about balance – if he was genuinely serious about ending reliance on fossil fuels, he would not have created the 100 new sites.