Chris Packham has accused Rishi Sunak of using the environment as a “political football” as he issues a stark warning against the government’s “astonishing and disappointing” oil agenda.
The wildlife presenter and naturalist has given the major political parties an ultimatum to stop sanctioning future licencing of oil and gas or risk losing votes in a new campaign he launched on Friday.
Standing outside parliament, he held posters which state: “If you do not include an unambiguous assertion that you will not sanction any future licensing of oil and gas and immediately cease subsidies to oil and gas companies in your manifesto you will not get my vote.”
Chris Packham accuses government of playing ‘political football’ with green policies as he launches new campaign— (Supplied)
Packham, awarded a CBE in 2019 for services to nature conservation, hurtled into action after the prime minister announced he would grant 100 new oil and gas exploration licences.
Speaking to The Independent, Packham said: “Sunak has said he’s offering the country energy security, but he’s offering the human race no security whatsoever.
“We’re living through a period of time where we have seen Europe burning, catastrophic floods. Climate change has come home to roost.”
He added: “The one overriding, simple, single piece of advice that we have been given by scientists is that we have to transition away from our dependence on fossil fuels and work towards renewables.”
On Thursday, Greenpeace activists climbed onto the roof of Mr Sunak’s house and hung black cloth in protest against his decision to extend the oil and gas licences.
Greenpeace activists on the roof of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s house in North Yorkshire— (PA)
The prime minister said he is backing the North Sea oil and gas industry to “make Britain more energy independent” and said the new licences will cut Britain’s carbon footprint, as domestic production is responsible for just a quarter of the emissions of imported liquified natural gas.
But Packham criticised the move as “ghastly short-termism” and said the decision flew in the face of advice from climate scientists, the United Nations and the government’s own Climate Change Committee.
Rishi Sunak is playing ‘political football’ with the the environment, Packham said— (Getty)
“We’ve seen a lot of political to-ing and fro-ing since the by-election result in Uxbridge over the environment,” he said. “The government appears to be on the brink of junking a lot of green policies as they use the environment as a political football while they jostle for votes. But it’s not about votes, it’s about life on earth.”
The presenter invited the public to take part in his “peaceful, democratic” protest in person or on social media by printing or downloading his posters.
He said: “You can post it in the post, you can post it in your window, you can post it in the letterbox of your constituent party office or go bold ... print and post it on your chest!”
Energy secretary Grant Shapps said the commitment for new oil and gas licences will “drive forward our energy independence and our economy for generations”.
He said in a statement: “In the wake of Putin’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine, our energy security is more important than ever. The North Sea is at the heart of our plan to power up Britain from Britain so that tyrants like Putin can never again use energy as a weapon to blackmail us.”
