Catherine has criticised the Government for a lack of leadership on climate change, leading to missed opportunities to lead the green transition.

Speaking during Energy Security & Net Zero questions in Parliament, Catherine referenced the recent Climate Change Committee report ‘Progress in reducing emissions’, chaired by Lord Deben. The report criticised a lack of leadership from the Government, with Lord Deben adding that “the failure to act decisively in response to the energy crisis and build on the success of hosting COP26 means that the UK has lost its clear global climate leadership while game-changing interventions from the US and Europe, which will turbocharge growth of renewables, are leaving the UK behind”

Catherine highlighted that in the foreword to the Committee Report, “Lord Deben has urged Government to ‘find the courage to place climate change once again at the heart of its leadership’ before she warned Ministers the “the Prime Minister and therefore this Government is just too weak to stand up to their back backbenches and really grasp this opportunity and necessity”.

Following her question, Catherine commented: “The recent Climate Change Committee report highlights that the Government is failing to meet not only the climate necessity but also the opportunity for regions like the North East to drive a just transition. This was also highlighted by Lord Goldsmith who resigned from Government over the lack of leadership, warning that the Prime Minister was ‘simply uninterested’ in tackling the climate emergency.

“We need to show global leadership on this issue with Labour committing to plans that will lower bills, provide energy security, tackle the climate emergency, and provide good jobs. Labour’s plans would lead the world with clean and cheap power, set up a national wealth fund and upgrade nineteen millions homes.

“This government is out of ideas and energy and if they are not prepared to act, they should call a General Election and let the country choose the direction we take”.