Our Net Zero ambition fuels Putin’s rockets

THE political debate over Net Zero has been a difficult one, not least on how the drive for cleaner energy potentially impacts on the cost of living.

But the crisis in Ukraine has exposed a serious problem with the approach taken by manywestern governments – not just Britain – in trying to reduce our carbon footprints.

While it must be our long-term ambition, it is impossible to transition to wind, tidal, solar and even nuclear power in short order.

But in seeking to move away from use of our own gas, oil and coal reserves it has made Britain – and other European countries to a much larger extent – dependent on supplies from despotic regimes such as Russia.

In effect, Donald Trump was right when he attended a Nato conference during his presidency and complained that Europe wants the US to spend billions to defend it from Russia, while collectively European countries including the UK were putting billions into Putin’s pocket by buying Russia’s oil and gas.

This dependency has to stop, as arguably it must also do with some of the less savoury Middle East regimes.

So Boris Johnson’s announcement – underlined by a piece in today’s Sunday Express from Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng – that Britain will use its North Sea oil and gas reserves for decades to come should be welcomed.

The strong hint that shale gas through fracking is back on the table is also a positive.

This gives Britain time to develop a renewable and nuclear infrastructure as an alternative and will hopefully keep the cost of heating people’s homes down.

The cost of living at a time of inflation and tax rises is a very real problem – the sort that can lose governments elections.

The reality is that we cannot say no to having a coal mine or fracking shale gas in this country – bringing in thousands of jobs and billions in investment – but then just buy the same product at “top dollar”, as the Prime Minister put it, from Russia.

The idea is ridiculous and for too long we have allowed a largely leftwing green lobby to dictate these hypocritical terms.

Governments have a responsibility to protect this country and to provide the terms on which we can light and heat our homes affordably.

Our money should not be used to fund the hypersonic missiles being used by Russia on Friday in Ukraine, or cluster and vacuum bombs.

We all applaud the heroism of the Ukrainians in these dark days and the leadership of President Zelensky in offering talks with his brutal foe.

However, as the Prime Minister put it, we can no longer accept compromises or make accommodations with tyrants such as Putin.

There must be an end to buying his oil and gas and thus a decisive cutting off of the stream of funding for his weapons and instruments of terror.