'Economically illiterate': How Nigel Farage's net zero maths fail to add up – and could cost the UK £92bn

James Murray
clock • 7 min read
Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK
Image:

Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK

Reform has promised to save £45bn a year for tax cuts by 'scrapping' net zero, but the government spends nowhere near that much on decarbonisation

Could the Treasury save £45bn a year by scrapping the UK's net zero targets, unlocking in one swoop the money needed to reinstate the Winter Fuel Allowance, lift the two-child benefit cap, and fund massive...

To continue reading this article...

Join BusinessGreen

In just a few clicks you can start your free BusinessGreen Lite membership for 12 months, providing you access to:

  • Three complimentary articles per month covering the latest real-time news, analysis, and opinion from Europe’s leading source of information on the Green economy and business
  • Receive important and breaking news stories via our daily news alert
  • Our weekly newsletter with the best of the week’s green business news and analysis

Join now

 

Already a BusinessGreen member?

Login

More on Politics

Prime Minister to chair crisis meeting on UK heatwave, drought and wildfires

Prime Minister to chair crisis meeting on UK heatwave, drought and wildfires

Andy Burnham to meet with Defra and Environment Agency officials at COBRA meeting this afternoon to discuss the UK's response to extreme heat and dry weather

Jane Thynne, Farmers Guardian
clock 12 August 2026 • 4 min read
Summertime silence

Summertime silence

The right of British politics has stepped up its attacks on climate action in recent weeks, so why has the rest of the political spectrum largely failed to seize the 'teachable moment' presented by crippling heatwaves to highlight the vital importance...

James Murray
clock 04 August 2026 • 4 min read
Conservative environmental leadership can cut bills, reduce emissions and wins votes - the Party must embrace it

Conservative environmental leadership can cut bills, reduce emissions and wins votes - the Party must embrace it

By once again embracing a pragmatic Conservative environmental tradition we can regain power, keep Britain safe and unleash our country's economic potential, writes Wiltshire Council's Conservative group leader Richard Clewer

Cllr Richard Clewer
clock 31 July 2026 • 3 min read