Skidmore, a former energy secretary, will visit green schemes across north-west England on Thursday, including a home insulation demonstration in Salford and a peat restoration project in Oldham. He told the Guardian: “The environment and net zero should be bigger than party politics, but I wanted to leave Westminster to show that net zero is not a cost – it is a benefit. “If you leave Westminster, you’ll see that people are getting on with it – mayoral authorities, councils, are really prioritizing net zero as they see it as a vehicle for economic growth. I wanted to show that to the constituencies so that we don’t see it as a Westminster political bubble concept, it’s real life.” Conservative party sources did not believe Truss’s tenure was off to an auspicious start on climate after she appointed Jacob Rees-Mogg, who has been skeptical of climate action in the past, as business secretary. Rees-Mogg told an event organized by free-market thinktank the Center for Policy Studies that the government’s policy to reach net zero by 2050 “will be a huge regulatory cost” that the UK had to “deal with” . The congressman, Skidmore said, was invited on his net zero tour. The Guardian asked Rees-Mogg if he plans to attend. “All party members are welcome to attend, be it the Bey [Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy] Minister; I will be happy to invite Jacob Rees-Mogg and I will be happy to invite [shadow secretary of state for climate change and net zero] Ed Miliband too,” Skidmore said. He will also meet representatives of Bolton Football Club, which rejected a request by failed MP and Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage to hold a rally against the net zero target. “Nigel Farage tried to rally against net zero at Bolton Football Club but was turned down as they are net zero bound. I visit this club – the industry is not listening to the tiny vocal minority in Westminster who claim that net zero costs money, which is simply wrong,” explained Skidmore. Alongside the launch of the tour, MPs from all the UK’s major parties urged in a letter to the incoming prime minister to support net zero, expand renewable energy, invest in insulation and attend the UN climate summit. biodiversity (COP15) later this year. The most important stories on the planet. Get all the week’s environmental news – the good, the bad and the must-haves Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. After kicking off in the North West of England, the tour will visit Yorkshire and the Humber, the North East, Scotland, the West and East Midlands, the South West, Wales and Northern Ireland, London and the South East, as well as the East England. Despite concern about Truss’ record on the environment and climate – she is seen as supporting fracking and as environment secretary she oversaw cuts to the regulator – Skidmore said he was optimistic about her premiership. “Liz said she wants to double down on net zero, she’s been very clear that she wants to commit to the 2019 manifesto which had net zero as a front page commitment,” he said, adding: “Liz talked about how net zero it should become more “business friendly”, but this shows that the country is not just waiting for the government to get on with the job, but the industry is already getting on with it. As Boris Johnson has said, net zero is bigger than any personality.”
