Quote · The Rest Is Politics
547. The Truth About Russian Oil, Net Zero, and North Sea Drilling
Where this was said
Rory and Alastair Debrief: Trade-Offs, Trump, and the Communication Problem
At 57:14 · chapter starts 50:23
With Jørgensen gone, Rory and Alastair engage in what is arguably the most intellectually honest exchange of the episode. Rory Stewart's verdict is uncomfortable: the reason the green transition argument is losing public ground is not a conspiracy by Trump or the far right — it is because ordinary businesses and households sense that the 'green energy is cheap energy' narrative doesn't fully add up. He notes that a German industrialist listening to Jørgensen would be tearing their hair out. [1] — Rory Stewart "After the interview, Rory and Alastair disagree sharply. Rory argues that insisting green energy is always cheap and that there are no trad…" 49:48 Alastair Campbell pushes back hard: a Business Breakthrough Barometer survey shows 92% of European business leaders see competitive advantage in the renewables approach; the political problem is not the economics but the right-left polarisation of the debate, exploited by figures like Richard Tice and the Reform Party. He is also critical of Tony Blair's recent signals on North Sea drilling, despite praising the Tony Blair Institute's climate papers as among the best Jørgensen has read. The exchange ends with Rory calling for global solutions — taxing embedded carbon in imports from China — and Alastair insisting that dismissing the 1% European contribution as futile is itself part of the problem.
A Business Breakthrough Barometer survey of European business leaders found 92% see competitive advantage in the renewables-focused approach championed by figures like Dan Jørgensen.
The UK accounts for only 1% of global direct emissions and the EU for only 7%, raising questions about whether European climate leadership can meaningfully affect the global trajectory.
