All of the four remaining Conservative leadership contenders have committed to meeting net-zero emissions by 2050.
At a well-attended hustings organised by the Conservative Environment Network and chaired by Cop26 President Alok Sharma, the candidates confirmed their commitment to the UK’s target.
Before the campaign event, all candidates except Kemi Badenoch had signed the CEN’s pledge to maintain the 2050 target.
As recently as July 12, the former equalities minister had described net-zero policies as “unilateral economic disarmament”, and she has called the 2050 target “arbitrary”.
But as Britain sweated through its hottest day of the year on Monday and temperatures approached 40°C , Ms Badenoch joined her fellow candidates in committing to the 2050 target.
Chris Skidmore, former energy minister and chairman of the Net Zero Support Group of Conservative MPs, said he was “delighted” that all candidates had signed up to the pledge.
Mr Skidmore said the move meant there was no longer a "question mark" over the future of net zero and climate commitments.
“The reality is that this is an internationally agreed framework that the UK has led, demonstrating that you can halve your carbon dioxide emissions at the same time as doubling the size of the economy," he said.
“As the energy and climate minister who signed net zero into law three years ago, I know how seriously other countries are watching the UK’s progress to decarbonise. We are seen as international leaders.
“Net zero is also delivering investment and jobs into the north and red wall constituencies that are benefitting from a green industrial revolution.
"That’s why I’ve spent the leadership contest standing up for net zero and the benefits it delivers now.”
The event was one of the best attended of the campaign, apart from those held by the backbench 1922 Committee, with candidates surprised at the turnout.
Candidates also answered questions on nature and biodiversity, with Foreign Secretary Liz Truss committing to lead a delegation to the Cop15 Biodiversity Conference in Montreal in December, if elected.
A decision by the UK High Court found that the British government had failed to adequately outline how it would reach its net zero targets.
In his ruling, Judge David Holgate ordered a report to be published that explained in detail how the country would meet carbon budgets that cap the amount of greenhouse-gas emissions, on the way to 2050.
The legal challenge was brought by a group of environmental campaigners who called for greater scrutiny of proposals to eliminate greenhouse-gas emissions.
They said government targets were too vague and did not comply with Britain’s own climate-change legislation.
“This decision is a breakthrough moment in the fight against climate delay and inaction,” said Sam Hunter Jones, a senior lawyer at ClientEarth, one of the groups that brought the claim.
“It forces the government to put in place climate plans that will actually address the crisis."
