Net Zero Festival: The political case for net zero

BusinessGreen staff
clock • 1 min read

VIDEO: Green Alliance executive director Shaun Spiers argues that while climate action has broken into the political mainstream, many politicians have yet to fully comprehend the scale of the net zero challenge ahead

As executive director for environmental think tank Green Alliance, and chair of Greener UK - the coalition of 13 organisations campaigning for a 'green Brexit' - Shaun Spiers is one of the UK's keenest observers of the green political scene.

Indeed, he has been at the forefront of the UK's green policy debates for a quarter of a century, having served as an MEP for five years before leading the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) as chief executive until 2017, when he left to join Green Alliance.

In a short lecture for the world's first Net Zero Festival last week, Spiers argued that while climate action has broken into the political mainstream, many politicians have yet to fully comprehend the scale of the net zero challenge. His speech - which sets out the case for politicians taking net zero and climate action far more seriously - can be viewed in full above.

All of the panel debates, keynote speeches, and presentations from the world's first Net Zero Festival - which took place over three days from 30 September featuring hundreds of top speakers from business, politics and academia - are now available to watch again on demand through the Net Zero Festival website.

More on Politics

'This is transition politics at play': Is climate change shaping Trump's threats against Venezuela and Greenland?

'This is transition politics at play': Is climate change shaping Trump's threats against Venezuela and Greenland?

Leading experts in energy markets, conflict, and geopolitics weigh-in on how the White House's expansionist ambitions are being influenced by fossil fuel interests and climate risks

Michael Holder
clock 12 January 2026 • 16 min read
Richest one per cent blow their share of 2026's global carbon budget in 10 days

Richest one per cent blow their share of 2026's global carbon budget in 10 days

New Oxfam GB analysis shows each of member of the UK’s richest 0.1 per cent emits more carbon in eight days than someone in the bottom 50 per cent does in a year

Stuart Stone
clock 10 January 2026 • 3 min read
What can the green economy expect in 2026?

What can the green economy expect in 2026?

BusinessGreen Editor’s Briefing: January 2026 part one

BusinessGreen staff
clock 09 January 2026 • 2 min read