Almost half the Conservative Party’s backbench MPs in the British Parliament belong to a Caucus promoting extreme Net Zero ideas that is funded by a small group of green billionaire foundations. The Conservative Environment Network (CEN), which acts mostly as a lobby group, receives over 80% of its funding from the European Climate Foundation, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisers, Oak Foundation, WWF-UK and Clean Air Fund. As regular readers will recall, these paymasters crop up regularly whenever anyone of influence, be they journalists, academics or politicians, requires help and guidance in promoting the insanity of removing hydrocarbon energy from industrial societies within less than 30 years.
The CEN relies on ‘peer reviewed’ research to lobby for Net Zero policies at both Parliamentary and local council levels. It counts over 150 MPs and Peers in its Parliamentary caucus, over 500 local councillors, along with “international declaration signatories” numbering 300 legislators from 45 countries. The billionaire-funded operation is said to support a network of ‘Net Zero champions’ inside Parliament “to make the positive case that Net Zero is an economic opportunity as well as moral responsibility”.
It is noted by CEN that when Russia invaded Ukraine “we helped promote the narrative that reducing dependency on fossil fuels through renewable energy and insulation would help defeat Putin”. Quite how fossil fuel dependency is reduced by intermittent renewables that rely on back-up hydrocarbons is not immediately clear. It’s unlikely that Putin quaked in his boots at the thought of the widespread mobilisation of loft insulators in the U.K.
The biggest CEN paymaster seems to be the European Climate Foundation, which is heavily supported by the Extinction Rebellion funder Sir Christopher Hohn. The CEN is run by Ben Goldsmith who is one of five trustees of Hohn’s fund, The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation. He is the brother of Lord Goldsmith, the former Conservative Environment Minister who served under Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Interestingly, Johnson’s father, Stanley, a long-time green activist, is listed as a member of the CEN steering committee.
The Clean Air Fund is also funded by Hohn along with Bloomberg Philanthropies, the green vehicle used to promote the political agenda of Michael Bloomberg, the former Mayor of New York. Bloomberg has a track record of funding the activities of politicians, again as regular readers will recall. He is one of the main backers of C40, a group of local civic leaders around the world, chaired by London Mayor and fireworks impresario Sadiq Khan. Removing cars from cites – and a form of rationing, whereby city dwellers are limited to a daily food quote of 2,500 calories with just 44g of meat – are just some of the proposals suggested in internal reports.
Of course targeting politicians is not a new game and lobbying legislators has long been a massive international enterprise. But the new breed of green promoters is particularly aggressive and the sums of money on offer are eye-watering. It has been reported that Hohn gave £46 million to C40. Jeremy Grantham, like Hohn a hedge fund billionaire, funds British academic institutions and journalists, but he also seems to have politicians in his sights. Speaking in 2019 to a group of business people in Copenhagen about the approaching apocalypse, he asked rhetorically, “What should I do, you say“? His suggestion: “You should lobby your Government officials – invest in an election and buy some politicians. I am happy to say we do quite a bit of that at the Grantham Foundation… any candidate as long as they are green.”
All of this, it might be argued, has led to the British Parliament donkey-nodding through some of the most restrictive and potentially most disastrous Net Zero legislation in the world. The actual target of 2050 Net Zero was rushed through in 2019 via secondary legislation by a Prime Minister without any considered debate. A green activist legal unit within Government called the Climate Change Committee keeps feet to the fire with demands for industry-destroying cuts in carbon dioxide emissions. Over £12 billion a year is lifted from the pockets of electricity users to pay for hopelessly inefficient power from the breezes and sunbeams that accounts for barely 5% of total energy use. In the cities, the cars of the less well off are penalised, while empty cycle lanes, road closures, 20 mph speed limits and sky-rocketing parking charges proliferate. Meanwhile, there are not enough children in the Congo to mine all the cobalt needed for spontaneously combusting electric cars, while heat pumps spell catastrophe for the life chances of old and frail people in the depths of a cold British winter.
“We’re very grateful to all those who have supported CEN financially and made our work possible,” says the Conservative Environment Network.
Chris Morrison is the Daily Sceptic’s Environment Editor.
This is certainly interesting information and I particular enjoyed the the clear and critical, but not insulting writing style!
Could you perhaps add a few graphs illustrating the estimated money flows of those various foundations and benefactors?
“clear and critical, but not insulting writing style”
True, and with a fair amount of entertaining satire and sarcasm- which is required in any honest climate related journalism!
Guess who chooses Conservative candidates for Parliament? They won’t be choosing anyone who isn’t on board with net zero.
The same goes for the other parties.
Reform U.K. is pro-fracking – that’s different. Worth voting for compared to the entitled who only want to make lives lived less well- for the planet, of course
Thank you my Cremonese friend. We do at Reform, uniquely of all parties, have a genuine mission to junk the Net Zero nonsense so
to the tune of Earlye in the Morning
FOR A BETTER TOMORROW WE’LL FRACK FOR GAS
NET ZERO PLANS WILL NEVER PASS
WHEN THE WIND DONT BLOW
DONT RUN SLOW
DONT VOTE LABOUR DON’T BE CRASS
Grab your angle grinder,
Grab your angle grinder.
Grind the shackles from the people
On election day!
RISHI SUNAK HAS FUNNY LITTLE PANTS
GIVES BILLIONS TO THE RICH IN GRANTS
FOR NET ZERO HE’S A HERO
IS HE THE MAN THE COUNTRY WANTS
so a plague on the lot of them and on old Brandon too
The sentiment is first rate, the song, third rate (if that)
The third rate material under lampoon deserves little more than a third rate ditty. but maybe we will become viral. After all the critics sneered at the Beatles and the Sex Pistols and Florence Joyner Johnston
Critics sneered at the Quarreymen so they changed the name.
“The same goes for the other parties” When will the penny drop? The problem isn’t this or that party. The problem is whole notion of parties, how they work and the sort of people they attract. Illegitimate lobby groups are greatly disempowered if MPs (representatives) are independent. There are many other advantages of independents. The greatly raised bar required to become an independent rep. and the freedom of conscience that comes with it are the most important.
That such grand change is only in the hands of the masses acting with they own individual, personal integrity is another story.
Tice was pretty good on PM on Wednesday I though. They are getting my vote this time round
Tories, as an American Conservative, please stay strong…
Read it again, both parties receive funding from climate cultists, no different from the way it is in the U.S. Good politicians are the ones who stay bought.
Tories are no longer conservatives. They are as much New Labour as Labour, a uniparty.
Uniparty: Paid to play
If the peasants keep on using fossil fuels then we elites will not have enough fuel for our jets! We must rein them in.
I have formed the LCCC….the Liberal committee to Change the Congo. Contributions are welcome…we seek more little children to mine more cobalt.
Name already taken by the Low Carbon Contracts Company that administers electricity CFDs in the UK.
“It is noted by CEN that when Russia invaded Ukraine “we helped promote the narrative that reducing dependency on fossil fuels through renewable energy and insulation would help defeat Putin”.”
Crazy on so many levels. For one thing, even if green energy was a good idea, and it ain’t, it’ll take decades- so it couldn’t in any way help defeat Putin. And, I just can’t grasp how any “conservative” could support the climate emergency narrative. The fact that CEN calls it a narrative shows how they see any discussion of green energy and Putin as just another cow patty to add to the pile.
Many rich folks, including the ones calling themselves “conservatives” are deeply invested the CAWG scam. They see an investment cycle. They have money to invest. They think they can profit from it.
It appears that hundreds of trillions will be spent on this boondoggle- so a lot of people want to get in front of that tsunami of money- billionaires and the not so rich.
They were upfront about “economic opportunities”.
Bloomberg estimates $200 trillion.
‘$200 Trillion Is Needed to Stop Global Warming. That’s a Bargain.’
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2023-07-05/-200-trillion-is-needed-to-stop-global-warming-that-s-a-bargain
What is it with green billionaires? A guilt complex? Make lefties like them when it’s presumed lefties will hate all billionaires? Promote it because they see a way to milk it for more billions? It’s certainly not their advanced understanding of climate science.
Have any green billionaires changed their lifestyles for Net Zero? Sold their ocean front properties? Sold down their multiple homes to a single residence?
Look at what they do, not what they say.
Of course, Mr. Green! Just look at Algore, he has done all of those things. Oh what, he hasn’t? Never mind!
and when they do that- I still won’t agree with them, but I’ll respect them more- but of course that ain’t gonna happen
“Look at what they do, not what they say.”
John Kerry doesn’t own a super-yacht… so he uses his wife’s.
And only flies of “rented” private jets…
Making sacrifices for the good of the cause.
Is that the sort of thing you mean?
Hypocrite or not. He is still barking up the wrong tree.
The conservative-liberal dichotomy or conservative-progressive ones are no longer realistic for the elites or their self-image. Consciously or other wise they are changing the table place cards at the political banquet to aware and uncaring or some yet-to-be-determined pair of ideological labels. The already wealthy elites can operate successfully under any name and their egos are massaged by the gratification and acceptance shown by the recipients of their financial support. Rather than paying for the construction of libraries or the establishment of hospitals, they seek immortality in the memory of those to come by encouraging the work of foundations sympathetic to Gaia rather than Mammon. No one knows if that will be a success but history hasn’t been kind.
The two words “hydrocarbon energy” are an outstanding replacement for the inaccurate “fossil fuels” and their use indicates the stance of the writer.
Very eloquent. Perhaps too eloquent…
None of them are seeking truth, they are just greedy and overconfident they can twist reality to make more $$.
Good observation on “hydrocarbon energy” vs “fossil fuels”, that are not any kind of fossil anyway.
I like your writing. You posted a comment on Oct. 19th and I liked it so much I saved it. I may use it sometime when I rant against the state of Wokeachusett’s idiotic climate policy, giving you credit of course- based on your identification here. I kept the link to that comment for that purpose. Just curious, but what’s your background- in a general sort of way- in case you like to remain anonymous?
That previous comment of yours started with “With all due respect, the climate change terror has nothing to do with science or even observation.”
“The actual target of 2050 Net Zero was rushed through in 2019 via secondary legislation by a Prime Minister without any considered debate.”
So why wasn’t there any debate? Nobody with the guts to demand debate?
That’s about it Joseph. Too stupid to understand the murderous damage they are doing or pehaps fully cognisant and corrupt and doing the bidding of some anonymous master . Maybe they want to reduce life to a game of Aristocracy and serfs.
You’re simple-minded on the other half of the equation. The aristocratic-serf connection you mention, in other words feudalism, came about as the failing Roman empire was digested by its adjoining tribes. The Roman latifundia were taken over by barons that used the serfs as labor. The relationship was symbiotic, serfs worked the fields, the barons used their personal armies to protect their serfs. Everyone had a place and a responsibility in this system and while there was no means of social advancement, neither was there any homelessness or destitution. It worked at the level of technology available at that time.
Feudal society has a bad reputation in that it was absent from most recorded history until long after it had passed. The authorities of the city states and the nascent nations had their own interests to protect and certainly weren’t going to affirm something they had overtaken. We feel the same way today about hereditary monarchies and non-democratic regimes. There are many citizens of these nations that are as satisfied as the average Anglo-Democrat. They don’t lie awake at night wishing to vote for some geriatric nitwit or dreaming of owning the bank that has the mortgage on their house.
Perhaps modern feudalism exists as the party political system which preselects the candidate choices it presents to the peasants voters for approval. The gulf, function and form could hardly be closer.
In any community of humans the most intelligent and dedicated will generally attain a better position than the stupid and lazy. This was true of feudalism, too.
“Free market capitalism” is a little different. A near-idiot malingerer that would be unsuccessful at hoeing the baron’s turnips can survive and perhaps thrive in ultra-competitive capitalism. You encounter them every day. Especially if you need to make a stop at the motor vehicles office or the city planning commission. In feudal times those clerks would have been wet nurses for the baroness.
I was not making any comment on feudal system as existed during the middle ages but it seems to me that starting from that base we saw about the beginning of the 18th century to the end of the twentieth a convergence in lifestyle and future prospects of the elite and the masses and a redistribution of wealth. Now the pendulum is swinging the other way and it really does look as if the masses will have to make do with Universal Credit Netflix and fentanyl or even starvation and elimination while the priviledged class enjoy all the goodies that we all mostly (in the west, used to cherish). The rest of the world too seemed to be gaining in share of the pot and all funded by cheap energy. Take that away and dark ages of whatever form beckon
There’s nothing cheap about energy and there is no such thing as “small oil”. Try drilling your own oil well and building your own refinery and distribution system and tell us how it works out.
That very situation is what’s a big part of the renewable craze. The spots are all taken in hydrocarbon energy production. In fact, the biggest producers are merging. Few, if any, current entrepreneurs have the financing to enter the field. The opening is now for less developed alternatives, wind turbines, solar panels, carbon capture and transport and hydrogen. Sure, there are big, government-owned operations like Equinor but their competition is limited to major projects. Many startups are after the smaller stuff. That’s the impetus for renewables. Just as hundreds of auto manufacturers have gone broke in the course of the 20th century, so too will it be with the renewables sector. Those with the deepest political connections will survive and thrive. The others will be greeters at Walmart.
Before 1900 when aspirin was invented everybody used opiates and opium products where they were available. There was no other choice. In the 1920s to 1930s when statistics were available the average death rate per year from opiates was about 35 deaths per year compared to about 3,100 deaths per year for alcohol. Here is an example: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsushistorical/mortstatsh_1931.pdf
Party vassels must obey their lords otherwise the party system collapses. You get what you vote for.
I’m reading a biography of Albert Einstein. He hated parties and wouldn’t join any- because of course, you’d end up just another vassel. He didn’t say it that way but that’s what he meant.
It’s BIG! What? The MIT involvement in Climate Change. https://climate.mit.edu It should change its name to Massachusetts Institute of Climate Change
I went to their website expecting at the least, a fairly erudite introduction to Climate Change. I had to quite reading when I found, on the first page,
“The science is clear: the Earth’s climate is changing faster today than ever before in the history of our species…”
Vary informative… guess that explains why the only MIT grad I ever worked with was a manager that screwed up every project to which he was ever assigned or managed. How that hell did that school ever develop it’s reputation as one of the top engineering universities in the country?
Wokeachusetts Institute of Climate Change
I see on that site- popped out at me.
“The science is clear: the Earth’s climate is changing faster today than ever before in the history of our species – and human actions are the main reason why.”
I just lost all respect for MIT.
Yup, now they’re just taking the MICC.
My high school physics class in ’67 took a day trip to MIT. It was exciting for this science nerd.
Chris, I am fully aware that shenanigans exist to push the green blob agenda with all the dishonesty that the elite fat cats can bring to bear.
I am standing for the Reform party at the next election calling for an end to all the Net zero nonsense transparency in government and honesty in estimating how much it will cost. And everything that comes out of government is lies platitudes and willful downplaying both of the costs and the inherent impossibility of the task of decarbonising. The conspiracy of deceit includes almost all politicians presently occupying seats in Parliament with their flatulent fat useless arses, the jokingly named Office of Budget Responsibility, and the loathsome economically destructive Climate Change Committee. We plan a cleaning of the noxious stables of Westminster with a radical broom.
If you or any other reader can help my campaign please contact me at Esherandwalton@reformuk.com.
Keep up the good work
Everybody talks about draining the swamp until they are a part of it.
$200 trillion is the Bloomberg estimate, others are similar.
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2023-07-05/-200-trillion-is-needed-to-stop-global-warming-that-s-a-bargain
Putin invaded Ukraine because he knew Western Europe didn’t have the ability to mount more than token resistance. For about a week, analysts clung to the theory that resulting financial sanctions would cripple Russia.
The analysts underestimated the EU/UK’s determination to have Asia generate its energy needs so that inbred twits like Charles could prance about claiming they’re “saving the world.”
Putin understands that no EU/UK or US politician will get anywhere without pledging to prop up China’s coal mining industry.
More angst, but what to do about it? It would be good to have some strategy articles for countering such stuff. Are foreign agents like the Rockefeller Brothers, Bloomberg, EU Climate Fund subject to class action suits, citizen arrest or other instruments? Maybe Lord Moncton knows how to skewer such criminals against humanity.
Very nice. It is becoming more clear that there is a lot of money in the shadows that needs to be brought into the light. We hear conspiracy theories all the time about this kind of activity. I think it is finally time to take a look behind the curtain.
Here’s who is pulling the strings !!!
From ‘The Conservative Environment Network (CEN)’ website
“Our funding
We believe in transparency and have committed to annually publishing a breakdown of our sources of income and significant funders. In the last financial year, 2021/22, we were funded by:
Grants (83% of our income), including European Climate Foundation, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Oak Foundation, WWF-UK, and Clean Air Fund.
Sponsorship from businesses and charities (10% of our income), including Wildlife Trusts, Enertechnos, Woodland Trust, RSPB, CPRE, Smart Energy GB, Storrega Geotechnologies, EDF Energy, VOI, Technology, Opinium Research, Aon UK, Pasture-Fed Livestock Association, Sustain, WWF-UK, Marine Conservation Society, AAL Investments, and RenewableUK.
Donations from individuals (7% of our income). “
Sorry, here’s the link
https://www.cen.uk.com/our-caucus
For decades, like many people, I thought that the Rockefeller Foundation were good guys. Then, as can be wise, I did the research.
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/07/18/corruption-of-science-by-money-and-power/
This study pointed to the present-day influences of the mega-rich on policies that affect us as mere ordinary wealthy. The mega-rich have spoken and written often enough to show that a superiority complex is a common problem. Why should they feel superior? Many have become so wealthy because of a skill in taking money out of the pockets of others. (Quite often, sheer luck is also a factor). For this, we peasants are supposed to give respect? Why? Our ideals are so twisted!
But, I see nothing about the mega-rich that allows them to claim superior competence in making national and global policies that affect us all. Properly, we elect governments for that task, That is the democratic path.
Seems to me that time has come to relieve the mega-rich of the idea that they have intellectual superiority, when their main skill is in money-grubbing from our wallets. Maybe even the global taxation system can be re-organised to prevent the accumulation of wealth to mega-rich levels.
Personal conflict of interest: I have been part of a team of mineral explorers, whose success has created new wealth for Australia, of the order of $50 billion in today’s terms. None of us has profited personally beyond usual salary levels. Greater greed is not on our menu of how to behave.
Geoff S
Money talks, these people shout.
And where I live (just outside Aberdeen, UK) we are gearing up for a fight against the utility company (SSEN) who want to put 75m pylons across Royal Deeside. This route will destroy the community environment, take up valuable farmland and reduce the tourist trade (a major factor in the economy)
And for why? Zero impact on CO2, zero impact on temperatures, and we will pay for it via higher electricity bills and property values reduced by up to 50%.
fortunately the two local MPs are with us, but still spout the NZ mantra….