Politicians linked to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson are among hundreds of climate change deniers determined to derail efforts to set an EU-wide “net-zero” emissions target, according to a report by .
A letter titled “There is no climate emergency”, signed by 400 people who deem climate change to be a myth, is being sent to leaders of European Union and United Nations institutions in the coming weeks ahead of key environment talks, the online newspaper said.
Some notable signatories are part of a trans-Atlantic network of think-tanks pushing for environmental deregulation post-Brexit, and have a history of climate science denial.
The letter, obtained by investigative non-profit news organisation DeSmog, revealed the group had links with members of Boris Johnson’s cabinet.
It claims current changes in the climate are “expected from the cyclic behaviour of the climate system” and said there is “no proof” that carbon dioxide is a major driver of climate change.
The UK’s main climate denial group, the Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF), founded by former chancellor Nigel Lawson, is well represented on the list.
Some of the 400 signatories of the letter have links to Boris Johnson's cabinet. Source: AAP
The group’s “urgent message” is that the EU net-zero carbon goal – a policy that was blocked by Poland and three other member states in June – should be “strongly opposed”.
“There is no climate emergency and therefore no cause for panic and alarm ... Our advice to political leaders is that science should aim at significantly better understanding the climate system while politics should focus on minimising potential climate damage,” the letter reads.
Robert Brulle, professor of sociology at Drexel University and an expert on climate science denial, told DeSmog it looked like a panicked response to the significant media coverage on the climate crisis after influential protests by Extinction Rebellion and Greta Thunberg.
“The talking points are stale and patently scientific nonsense. That isn’t critical. The point would be to keep the ‘contested’ nature of climate change alive,” he said.
The letter also coincides with government meetings in Germany on 20 September on how the country will meet its 2030 emissions target.
Mr Berkhout confirmed the letter was real. He told The Independent: “The initiative aims at a lot more than providing a declaration. We will reveal our ambitions and plans in a series of press conferences in Europe, starting in Brussels, Oslo and Rome.”
