John Browne

Lord Browne of Madingley is a crossbench member of the House of Lords. He is the Founder and Chair of BeyondNetZero and was Group Chief Executive of BP between 1995–2007

Britain must learn from its energy crises

During my career in the energy industry, I have been through seven major supply disruptions. Each time nations vow to learn lessons, revisit strategy and reduce risk. Yet when the war in Iran sent wholesale gas prices surging by more than 65 per cent, the British government scrambled for responses. The harder question, the one nobody in Whitehall wants to answer, is why, after years of climate pledges, net zero targets, and energy security reviews, the United Kingdom found itself just as exposed to expensive gas as it was in 2021. The answer is uncomfortable: Britain does not have an energy strategy. It has a collection of incoherent policies, and there is a profound difference.