Ed Miliband refuses to publish details of green energy deal with China

By Paul Homewood

MPs are up in arms over Miliband’s refusal to publish details of a net zero cooperation deal signed with China.

The Telegraph reports:

Ed Miliband has refused to publish details of a net zero cooperation deal signed with China.

The Energy Secretary flew to China in March for high-level meetings with ministers and businesses, as well as tours of local facilities.

While there, he pledged closer cooperation with China on green energy.

But five months later, the Government has still not revealed the text of the memorandum he signed – despite having published similar such deals with countries including Canada, Norway, South Korea, Ireland and Chile.

The lack of disclosure comes as concerns are growing over Chinese involvement in major wind farm schemes, after Ministry of Defence officials warned that they could be used for spying.

However, Chinese media reports claimed that Mr Miliband had agreed to work with Beijing on “power grids, battery storage, offshore wind power, and carbon capture, utilisation and storage, as well as clean, low-carbon and renewable hydrogen”.

‘Deeply concerning’

On Friday, the Conservatives called on the Energy Secretary to disclose the agreement in full.

Claire Coutinho, the shadow energy secretary, said: “Intelligence services have warned us about Chinese state-sponsored hackers infiltrating Western energy systems, so it is deeply concerning that Ed Miliband is refusing to publish the full text of his deal with China.

“Miliband must come clean about exactly what he signed up to, and Ofgem should be transparent about what knowledge they shared with Chinese officials.

Full story here.

I suspect the real reason is much more mundane – publishing would reveal just how one-sided the deal is.

It will inevitably lead to more imports from China of solar panels, wind turbines and all the other stuff needed for Net Zero, giving a lie to promises of green jobs here.

There will also be swapping of technology, which will benefit China much more than it does us.

Above there be no pledge from China to cut emissions.

China, in other words, have had Ed Miliband dangling on the end of a string.