Politics · United Kingdom · 2 days ago
Conservative policy document doubles estimate of net-zero cost
The UK Conservative Party’s policy document says the Climate Change Committee estimated that reaching net zero would cost £957bn.
Net zero means balancing the greenhouse gases the UK emits with the amount it removes from the atmosphere.
The committee’s 2020 estimate was £478bn, half the figure in the Conservative document.
The higher figure appears to come from a spreadsheet error that counted costs and savings twice.
The committee later revised its estimate to £108bn over 2025–50, while its most recent analysis puts the expected cost at about £110bn.
The Conservative document uses its cost claim to support the party’s decision to scrap the UK’s 2050 net-zero target.
The committee has offered to discuss its advice with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, and that offer remains open.
A Conservative policy document says the UK’s 2020 net-zero plan would cost £957bn, but the Climate Change Committee’s figure was £478bn.
The apparent error resulted from counting spreadsheet totals twice.
The document was produced for the Conservative conference in Birmingham and supports scrapping the UK’s 2050 net-zero target.
The error was previously published in a Spectator article and a report by the Institute of Economic Affairs.
The committee’s revised estimate is £108bn, according to Carbon Brief, while the Guardian reports its latest analysis puts the cost at about £110bn.
- Who
- The UK Conservative party, led by Kemi Badenoch, and the Climate Change Committee.
- What
- A Conservative policy document appears to have doubled the committee’s estimate of the cost of net zero, citing £957bn instead of £478bn.
- When
- The document was produced for the Conservative conference; the articles were published on 9 October 2026.
- Where
- The policy document was produced for the Conservative conference in Birmingham.
- Why
- The apparent error arose from adding spreadsheet totals to the underlying figures, counting costs and savings twice.
UK Conservative party
Climate Change Committee
2020 estimate
UK Conservative party
The Conservative document says the committee estimated the cost at £957bn.
Climate Change Committee
The committee’s 2020 estimate was £478bn, according to the articles.
Net-zero policy
UK Conservative party
The document uses its cost argument to justify scrapping the UK’s 2050 net-zero target.
Climate Change Committee
The committee’s estimates put the net cost of achieving net zero far below the figure cited in the document.
We don’t recognise this number. The committee has previously offered to meet with Ms Badenoch and talk her through our advice. That offer is, of course, still open.
as an engineer
what people ultimately want is a government competent enough to solve the problems for which it takes responsibility
The Climate Change Committee’s estimate for the net cost of its route to net zero was £478bn.
The earliest online use of the £957bn figure found by Carbon Brief appeared in a Spectator article.
David Turver repeated the figure in a report for the Institute of Economic Affairs.
The Guardian and Carbon Brief reported that the Conservative policy document had used the doubled figure.
- Conservative document estimate
- £957bn
- CCC 2020 net-cost estimate
- £478bn
- CCC revised estimate
- £108bn over 2025-50, according to Carbon Brief
- Document
- The Right Way, a 100-page policy document
- Net-zero target
- UK emissions reaching net zero by 2050
Sources
Related news
Burnham says Russia interfered in 2016 Brexit vote
Minister calls for banks to stop charging small businesses card fees
Burnham pledges to publish details of his dealings with Manchester City
Polanski vows to stay as Green leader after by-election loss and party row
UK prisoners face early release as official numbers remain unclear
Labour holds Starmer’s former London seat, defeating Green leader Zack Polanski
Labour plans to let migrants take citizenship tests from home
Government departments spent at least £5m on overseas worker visas
Iran war price rises complicate Healey’s first Budget, IFS warns
Man jailed for life after killing former partner days after early release
Conservatives call for review of defendants ruled unfit to plead
