"Richard Tice backs 'net stupid zero' policies for 15 years"

Reform UK’s Deputy Leader Pushed Green Energy in Business, Despite Public Opposition

Though Richard Tice, deputy leader of Reform UK, frequently mocks what he calls “net stupid zero,” his business career over the past 15 years includes support for sustainability and green energy projects.

Reform UK has positioned itself against environmental policies, with founder Nigel Farage labeling net zero targets as “lunacy.” The party advocates lifting restrictions on gas fracking, and one of its first successfully elected councils, in Kent, recently revoked its climate emergency declaration.

Yet companies led by Tice since 2011 emphasized efforts to reduce energy use, lower CO₂ emissions, and address environmental concerns. One firm informed investors it had adopted a “green charter” to lessen its climate impact and later appointed a “full-time sustainability manager” as part of its “focus on energy efficiency.”

Another company stated it was “committed to cutting emissions for cleaner air” and cited “hundreds of tonnes of CO₂ saved” through rooftop solar installations.

Despite this, Tice has dismissed climate concerns online, asserting last year: “We are not in a climate emergency; nor is there a crisis.” In May, he claimed solar farms were “wrong at every level,” arguing they would “harm food security, jobs, and property values.” His repeated “net stupid zero” slogan criticizes decarbonization efforts as “the most costly self-inflicted wound in modern British history.”

Steff Wright, a sustainability-focused entrepreneur and former tenant of Tice’s properties, noted contradictions between his public stance and corporate reports from CLS Holdings and Quidnet Reit, firms Tice previously led.

Wright said: “These reports show Tice understands the financial, social, and environmental benefits of investing in sustainability. As a business leader, if he directed companies to cut emissions and improve efficiency, it was because the business case existed.”

In 2010, when Tice became deputy CEO of CLS Holdings, the company pledged a “responsible, forward-looking approach to environmental issues,” including support for alternative energy. After his promotion to CEO in 2011, the firm introduced its green charter and hired a sustainability manager. By 2012, CLS highlighted its “zero net emissions” building and stated the board recognized its environmental impact, seeking to “minimize, mitigate, or harness it for positive change.”