Climate crisis: Boris Johnson ‘too cosy’ with vested interests to take serious action
April 14, 2021, 10:32 am

Climate crisis: Boris Johnson ‘too cosy’ with vested interests to take serious action

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Report author calls for thorough clean-up of political donations, directorships and embedded interns

Boris Johnson’s government is “too cosy” with vested interests in business to take strong action on the climate crisis, the author of a report on “the polluting elite”, has warned.

Peter Newell, a professor of international relations at the University of Sussex, said: “We are never going to have change while these actors are so close to government. The government is not willing to take on these interests as it has close ties to big industries, including fossil fuels. There is a definite reluctance to take them on.”He warned: “The beneficiaries of the status quo are in no rush to change. If we are serious about the Paris agreement, we have to disrupt that cosy relationship between business and government.”

Recent scandals such as David Cameron’s lobbying on behalf of the finance company Greensill had shone a light on the government’s links to business, he said. “But the problem goes much deeper, such as directorships , the revolving doors for ministers, and the internships by which energy companies send their employees to work inside the civil service on policy,” he said.

He called for more transparency, from party funding to the machinery of government. “A thorough clean-up is needed,” he told the Guardian. “Transparency is needed on where donations go. There should be limits on directorships . There needs to be a conscious attempt to say, we can’t function like this.”

Newell’s warning came as Sir David King, a former chief scientific adviser to the government, criticised the “chumocracy” of the government, which he said was “privatising the NHS by stealth” and “smells of corruption”.

Prominent figures in international climate action have also revealed to the Guardian their concerns that the government’s actions on the climate are “uncoordinated”, “worrisome” and giving a poor impression before Cop26, the UN climate talks to be hosted by the UK in Glasgow in November.

“The government is floundering already ,” Newell said. “Boris Johnson is not fond of upsetting industries that they rely on quite heavily. The industries that are resisting the transition have enormous amounts of power.”

Newell pointed to the government’s failure to put in place stringent planning regulations that would force housebuilders to make new homes low-carbon. The techniques to do so are available today, but add a few thousand pounds to the cost of building a house. Instead, higher costs will have to be borne by the householder when houses built today need to be expensively retrofitted in a few years’ time.

“Proper planning regulation is vital,” he said. “It is just insane building houses that will need to be retrofitted and incredibly short-sighted. But I imagine their friends in industry have pushed back.”

Housebuilders and property developers gave more than £11m to the Tory party in the year after Johnson became prime minister.

Newell also cited SUVs. Carbon emissions from transport have barely budged in the last decade, largely because the savings from people switching to electric vehicles have been wiped out by the soaring sales of SUVs. The government could use the tax system to make SUVs less attractive, but instead has frozen fuel duty for more than a decade and is spending £27bn on new roads, the carbon emissions of which have been grossly underestimated, the Guardian has revealed.

Newell was lead author of a report this week from the Cambridge Sustainability Commission on Scaling Behaviour Change that suggested a small number of well-off people – the “polluting elite” – generate far greater emissions than the average UK citizen. Frequent flyers should face tough new levies, and SUVs should be banned or restricted, the report recommended.“The government is doing precisely the opposite,” said Newell. Air passenger duty has been cut on domestic flights, airports are being expanded, electric vehicle incentives slashed, and the green homes grant for insulation and low-carbon heating has been scrapped.

A government spokesperson said: “We all have a part to play in tackling climate change, building on our existing success which has seen us slash emissions over the last three decades faster than any other G7 nation.

“Through the prime minister’s 10-point plan, we have a clear strategy to eliminate our contribution to climate change by 2050, including ending the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030, and investing in zero-emission public transport.

“Ahead of hosting Cop26, we will publish our comprehensive net zero strategy, outlining the government’s vision for transitioning to a carbon neutral economy, which we will use to spur both domestic and global action on issues including greener homes and aviation decarbonisation.”

source: Fiona Harvey

Levant

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.