Rishi Sunak will not tell Britons to eat less meat in face of climate crisis

Rishi Sunak has declared that he will not encourage Britons to eat less meat to help curb climate change, putting him at odds with advice from the Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser.

The Chancellor spoke out on Thursday shortly after Sir Patrick Vallance said that “a little bit of a reduction in the amount of meat you eat” was one of the key small changes the public could adopt that would have significant contributions on halting global warming.

Sir Patrick was among almost 40 senior scientific advisers who issued a statement to world leaders ahead of the Cop26 talks, calling on them to take action to limit temperature rises to 1.5C.

He said that behavioural change, such as cutting down on meat and taking fewer flights, was crucial to achieving internationally agreed net zero targets.

The Chancellor, meanwhile, raised eyebrows by choosing to appear at a meat market in Bury, Greater Manchester, for a series of high-profile post-Budget media interviews.

Ruminant animals like cattle and sheep are major emitters of globe-warming gases.

Slashing meat consumption by 30 per cent this decade to boost the sustainability of Britain’s food network was also a core recommendation of Henry Dimbleby, the Government’s food tsar, this summer.

On Thursday, Mr Sunak was asked on Sky News why he was appearing at a meat market when the public was being urged to eat less meat. He insisted: “I’m not telling anyone to eat less meat.”

Challenged about the advice spear-headed by Sir Patrick for adults to cut down, Mr Sunak responded: “There are lots of different ways we can tackle climate change.”

It came as the Chancellor faced criticism for halving air passenger duty on domestic flights in the Budget, a move that green campaigners said gave the wrong message about the impact of flying on the environment.

While it was intended in part to boost connectivity between the four nations of the UK, it elicited scorn north of the border.

Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish First Minister, branded it the “wrong choice”, while Maggie Chapman, a Scottish MP in the Green party, said it may “encourage climate-polluting, frequent flying within the UK”.

The tax cut will lead to around 400,000 more flights a year being taken within the UK, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility, the Treasury watchdog.

However, it is not set to increase emissions, according to analysts. The Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank highlighted that internal flights fall within the UK emissions trading scheme, meaning their impact will be offset elsewhere in the economy.

Mr Sunak announced a new higher level of air passenger duty on “ultra” long haul flights of more than 5,500 miles. A minimum of £91 will be levied on economy class tickets. The Institute for Fiscal Studies said the tax rise would lead to a cut in emissions.

Another testy exchange over the eco-agenda took place in the House on Thursday, just three days ahead of the start of the Cop26 negotiations.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Commons leader, said the UK will still “need to use fossil fuels” ahead of the transition to net zero as he faced calls to explain why the Government supports opening the new Cambo oilfield.

He told the Commons: “We have to remember that the target of net zero is by 2050, we are going to need to use fossil fuels in the interim. It is fanciful to think otherwise and if we are going to use them we are going to need to be economic.”

The Government is also determined to improve people’s standards of living, he added, arguing: “That’s what the green policy is about. It is not about cave dwelling, it is not hair shirt greenery.”

Thangam Debbonaire, the shadow Commons leader, said: “The Government, I am afraid to say, working with the SNP Scottish Government, seem to be supporting new oilfields in the North Sea.

“Will he ask the Business Secretary to come to the House and explain why the Government are saying that we must move beyond fossil fuels but meanwhile opening the new Cambo oilfield?”.