A month into the new coalition government and it is clear that the new secretary of state for energy and climate change has a daunting task, but who is Chris Huhne and what may we expect from his term in office?
It is clear that pressing environmental issues face the new coalition government, issues that cannot afford to be brushed aside for another term of office. The recent BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico cements the feeling that we simply cannot rely upon fossil fuels for our energy needs for much longer. But looking beyond the politics, who is the new secretary of state for energy and climate change; Chris Huhne, what are his motivations and more importantly what may it mean for long term environmental policy in Britain?
Despite his current post, the 55 year old married MP has neither a strong political or even environmental background. Graduating from Magdalen College, Oxford in PPE (Philosophy, Politics and English), Huhne spent most of his early career as a city economist and journalist writing for The Guardian and Independent [1]. The minister has been a Liberal Democrat MP since 2005 in his home constituency of Eastleigh, previously acting as MEP for South East England. What may be confusing some however is Huhne’s sudden jump, from the world of finance and economics to that of environment and energy.
On his own website Mr Huhne claims that through his 1990 book ‘Real World Economics‘ he was an early advocate of tackling global warming [2]. What strikes as key from the appointment of Huhne is the coalition government’s possible view of a low carbon energy expansion. Clearly with his background Huhne could be seen as a ‘practical’ choice, given the huge financial ramifications a programme such as this will entail. This financial emphasis certainly comes as no surprise given expensive planned projects, such as the roll out of Smart Meters and new building regulations akin to the Code for Sustainable Homes.
What is perhaps key for the new Lib-Con government is the relative conflict over environmental policy. In particular the argument over nuclear power looks set to disjoint the two parties with Huhne and the Lib Dems arguing ferociously for renewables, particularly wind power. Indeed a quick search through newspapers, such as The Guardian and The Independent, reveals a whole raft of articles pertaining to Chris Huhne and his sceptical views surrounding the Conservatives’ support for nuclear power. In the main, Huhne’s arguments relate to the supposed £4bn ‘black hole’ in the nuclear power budget due to expenditure and decommissioning costs [3]. An article featured in The Guardian last month contained a statement by the new coalition suggesting that the government would be able to bring forward plans for new nuclear construction whilst allowing the Lib Dems to maintain their opposition [4]. In real terms this seems to be an odd arrangement whereby Lib Dem members of the government (Huhne in particular) will freely speak for or against their own policies. This may come as worrying news for a low carbon future, especially considering that the decisions made in this term of government will have ramifications well into the future. If usual conflict between the government and its opposition isn’t bad enough for delaying decisions imagine the potential of conflict between the coalition themselves.
The Climate Change Act of 2008 advocated a 34% cut in greenhouse gas emissions, a cut that was trumped by the Lib Dems in their push for a 40% reduction. Whilst the Conservatives are known to support the original 34% figure they have since gone considerably quiet on the issue, not mentioning it in their manifesto [4]. Therefore unsurprisingly no unanimous figure is supported by the coalition, a factor that strikes even more uncertainty into future environmental policy.
In answering my original question it would appear that no one has the answers, let alone predict what the coalition’s plans for a low carbon future will look like. Huhne appears to be an aspiring figure with definite sways to renewables and a strong interest in climate change. It is definitely not too hard to predict future clashes between the new coalition, clashes that will ultimately have huge ramifications. How fruitful environmental politics will become under the new government is definitely unclear and many questions still need answering. Whether the 55 year old economist will perform as energy and climate change minister, sticking to his policies against nuclear power and ensuring a greater future for renewables remains to be seen. A difficult task faces the coalition and ultimately resolving their differences may be the difference between success and failure.
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Reference List
[1] BBC (2006) Profile: Chris Huhne. 02/03/2006. Available From: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4603240.stm [Accessed, 17/06/2010]
[2]Huhne, C. (2010) Outside Politics. Available From: http://www.chrishuhne.org.uk [Accessed, 17/06/2010].
[3] Wintour, P. (2010) Chris Huhne Warns of £4bn Black Hole in Nuclear Power Budget. The Guardian, 01/06/2010. Available From: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/jun/01/chris-huhne-black-hole-nuclear-power-budget [Accessed, 17/06/2010].
[4] Vaughan, A. (2010) What the Coalition Means for Environmental Policies. The Guardian, 12/05/2010. Available From: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/may/12/coalition-environment-policy [Accessed, 17/06/2010].
Picture – http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/about/chris_huhne/chris_huhne.aspx
