Utility Week

Policy & Regulation 10 | 28TH JUNE - 4TH JULY 2019 | UTILITY WEEK Analysis Boris Johnson doesn't have a great track record when it comes to the environment. Can that change if he becomes the next leader of the Conservatives – and prime minister? David Blackman reports. B oris Johnson's girlfriend Carrie Symonds has been credited with smartening up his image in the run-up to the leadership campaign. But how much of her environmentalist credentials have rubbed o on Johnson? The former London mayor is still the favourite to be the next prime minister, despite losing ground to leadership rival Jeremy Hunt following the brouhaha over an incident involving the couple last weekend. Symonds is a passionate environmental- ist who le her role as a Tory spin doctor to head Bloomberg's ecological initiative Vibrant Oceans. This means Johnson is prob- ably slightly more in touch with younger people's concerns about the environment than the typical 50-plus Tory male, but what does it mean for utility „ rms contemplating operating under a new prime minister? Climate commitments Hunt was quick to signal his commitment to the net zero goal when he included adoption of the net zero target in his „ ve-point pitch to young voters, which he published on the weekend following his decision to stand for the Tory leadership. Since then, he has trum- peted his role as foreign secretary in securing Italian support for the UK's bid to hold next year's UN climate change talks. However it is likely that the greatest focus is likely to remain on Johnson, who has a chequered track record on climate change issues. The government's former chief sci- enti„ c adviser Sir David King revealed only last week that when Johnson was foreign secretary, he tried to hush up concerns King raised about cuts to climate change research. Johnson said in last week's televised leadership hustings on the BBC that the environment would be at the "centre" of a government led by him. "We will see the Boris campaign play a heavier nod to environmental and climate issues than otherwise might have been expected," says Chris Rum„ tt, chief executive of public a airs company Field Consulting. "He is mindful of the need to so en his image a er taking a very hardline position Can Boris turn blues to green? on Brexit and recognises that he needs to reach out to the wider electorate," he adds, noting that Johnson is "very close" to his fellow Old Etonian Zac Goldsmith, the MP for Richmond and a former editor of The Ecologist magazine. This focus may not be apparent during the leadership contest, given that the environment is a second order issue for the typical Tory party member, Rum„ tt says: "This won't necessarily happen during the leadership selection contest due to the peculiar nature of the voter base. "Conservative party members are of a cer- tain demographic, above an average age and not the target for this sort of issue. Whoever emerges from this as prime minister, though, will try to re-energise government policy making on climate. "[Johnson] recognises the need for the Tories to rebuild their support among younger voters; particularly among the younger electorate there are votes in this." Global opportunity The opportunity to host the UN climate change talks next year will appeal to John- son's desire to grab the global limelight. "He will want to play on the world stage and will see this as an opportunity to do that," says Rum„ tt, adding that Johnson will have noted how his former leadership rival and former Brexit campaign ally Michael Gove has rebuilt his image since he has been secretary of state for the environment. And he would be right to pay attention, suggests Will Nicolle, researcher at the think- tank Bright Blue. "The environment should be an area that candidates tap into because it's popular. "Our research shows that young people want action on climate change and don't want a retraction on environmental stand- ards a er Brexit," he adds, referring to poll- ing that the think-tank carried out following the 2017 general election, which showed that climate change is the top issue of concern for 18- to 28-year-olds. And the urgency surrounding environ- mental issues has only increased over the past six months as the likes of Extinction Rebellion and the Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg have seized the headlines. Lawrence Slade, chief executive of Energy UK, told the recent Utility Week Summit that it was "staggering" how many of the Con- servative party leadership candidates had expressed full support for the 2050 net zero goal announced by Theresa May on 11 June. Johnson's own convictions may not "Johnson recognises the need for the Tories to rebuild their support among younger voters"

• Cover