Green policies just good politics, says UK minister

Britain's climate minister says that switching to cleaner energy is not only good for the planet — it is also good politics. Katie White made these remarks on Monday at the United Nations headquarters in New York City, where she was attending Climate Week. She said the UK's record-breaking hot summer, which brought four heat waves and deadly wildfires, has changed how many British people feel about climate action. According to White, the public now wants the government to do more, not less, to fight climate change.

White is a minister in Britain's Labour government, which currently holds power. She said right-wing political parties had made a mistake by promising to roll back the country's climate goals. Britain was the first major economy to pass a law requiring the country to reach 'net zero' greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Net zero means a country is not adding more harmful gases to the atmosphere than it removes. That law was passed under the Conservative Party, but the Conservatives have since dropped the goal, saying it would hurt the economy.

Another party, Nigel Farage's Reform Party, goes even further. Some of its members reject the scientific evidence showing that humans are causing climate change. They have mocked the net zero goal, calling it 'net stupid zero.' White argued that these anti-climate positions reflect the views of a small group of political leaders, not ordinary British people.

A recent poll by Ipsos backs her up. It found that 74 percent of British people said they were concerned about climate change in August. That is up from 69 percent who said they were concerned before the hot summer of 2026. White called the results 'pretty unprecedented,' meaning she found them unusually strong and significant. She said more people than ever are paying attention to the issue.

Critics often argue that moving away from fossil fuels drives up energy costs for families. White partly agreed with this point but said the long-term savings are worth it. She compared buying fossil fuels from other countries to renting a home — you keep paying but never own anything. Building wind farms and other clean energy sources, she said, is like buying a house. There is a big cost upfront, but you benefit for years afterward.

White also pointed to recent global events as a warning about relying too much on fossil fuels. She noted that energy prices shot up after two major crises in four years — the Iran war and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 'In the long term, clean power is absolutely the answer,' she said. Britain is a windy country, and White believes wind energy is one of the nation's greatest natural resources for building a cleaner future.

The UK also has oil reserves in the North Sea that are running low. US President Donald Trump has urged Britain's new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, to drill for more oil there. Two possible drilling sites are currently being reviewed. White said she could not say which way the decision would go, but she stressed that 'British policy is for the British people.' She added that some use of oil and gas can still fit within Britain's next carbon budget.

White also talked about the importance of electrification — switching everyday systems, like cars and heating, to run on electricity instead of oil or gas. She said this is a big focus ahead of major international meetings, including the G20 summit and the COP31 climate talks. As a personal example, she shared that she has been driving an electric vehicle for six years. 'I would never go back. It is a much more pleasant experience. It's smoother. I'm not supposed to say it's faster, but it is faster,' she laughed.