Rishi: We’ll force UK’s giant firms to go green
HUNDREDS of Britain’s biggest firms will be forced to go green under controversial plans to tackle climate change.
Rishi Sunak will today unveil wide-ranging proposals to ‘rewire’ the economy towards reducing global warming.
The package will see trillions of pounds of assets controlled by the City of London redirected away from carbon-intensive sectors like coal and oil towards initiatives such as electric car batteries.
But it will also impose requirements on all UK-listed companies to set out proposals to ‘transition’ towards net zero in the coming decades, with firms assessed annually against their published plans.
Those that fail to make enough progress, or whose plans are deemed too weak, could face sanctions including fines or even removal from the stock exchange.
Ministers hope the scheme will lead to a rapid shift away from investment in polluting industries and help drive progress towards the Government’s target of making the UK carbon neutral by 2050.
The Treasury said the plan would make the City ‘the world’s first net zero-aligned financial centre’.
But the compulsion is likely to prove controversial with some, and could have big consequences for firms in sectors such as oil, gas and mining – BP, Shell and mining giants Rio Tinto and Glencore are among those listed in London.
The Confederation of British Industry gave the idea a cautious welcome last night, saying that business was already ‘upping its game’. But the trade body warned it was vital ministers work with colleagues abroad to produce ‘globally consistent’ rules to prevent Britishbased firms being penalised.
City veteran Alasdair Haynes, chief executive of stock exchange Aquis, said it was ‘good that climate disclosures are put into companies’ reports and accounts’, but warned: ‘You have to have proportionality. A lot of fast-growing companies are facing high costs to complete their reporting, especially when you look at the detail of what’s needed.’
Mr Sunak will unveil the plans today at the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow. He will say that as one of the world’s biggest financial centres, the UK has a ‘responsibility to lead the way’ on the issue. A deal with 450 of the world’s biggest banks, pension funds and insurance firms will see almost £100billion worth of assets begin to ‘transition’ to lower carbon sectors.
The Chancellor has faced criticism from green groups over his approach to climate change, with Greta Thunberg insisting his Budget decision to cut taxes on domestic flights showed that the issue was ‘not his main priority’.
At present, firms are under no obligation to go green. A recent assessment found that barely half of all companies on the FTSE 100 have so far made any commitment to move to net zero.
Under the new arrangement, a ‘transition plan taskforce’. composed of industry and academic leaders and regulators. will draw up standards that the plans must
‘Responsibility to lead the way’
meet. Sources said the quango is designed to prevent firms ‘greenwashing’ their records by adopting meaningless pledges. The rules will be introduced in 2023 following consultation with business.
Rain Newton-Smith, CBI chief economist, said the moves were ‘steps in the right direction’ but that it was critical they did not apply only in the UK.
‘These need to be followed up with further action from policy makers to develop globally consistent climate and sustainability disclosure standards,’ she said.
Sam Alvis, of the Green Alliance, said ‘trillions of dollars are still flowing to fossil fuels every day and voluntary measures have not got us far enough’. He added that the new system would have to have ‘strict criteria with legal bite’.
The arrangement, known as the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero, will see firms responsible for 40 per cent of all global investment sign up to net zero goals.