Conservatives Overstate Net Zero Costs by £500 Billion

The Conservative Party overestimated the cost of achieving net zero emissions by nearly £500 billion in a flagship policy document titled 'The Right Way.' Presented at the party conference in Birmingham, the document claimed the Climate Change Committee estimated the cost at £957 billion, while the actual figures in the committee's report total £478 billion.

Analysts from Carbon Brief identified the error, which likely resulted from a spreadsheet tally that double-counted figures by including the totals row. The Conservatives used these inflated figures to justify their decision to scrap the United Kingdom's 2050 net zero target.

The Climate Change Committee stated it does not recognize the figure used by the party. The committee reiterated an offer to meet with Kemi Badenoch to discuss its advice and the data used in the policy document.