Tony Blair says efforts to phase out fossil fuels ‘politically toxic’, causing stir

Former British prime minister Tony Blair is causing a tempest in a teapot with his characterization of hardline environmentalists’ efforts to ban fossil fuels in their fight against climate change as “doomed to fail.” 

And an “inconvenient truth.”

Instead, Blair — who heads the eponymously named Tony Blair Institute for Climate Change — isn’t mincing words in calling for a more “pragmatic” approach to climate policy that has drawn the ire of radical environmentalists and their supporters.

In a new report, Blair called for a fundamental reset in global climate strategy, warning that current approaches are “politically unsustainable” and risk alienating public support. 

In a foreword to The Climate Paradox: Why We Need to Reset Action on Climate Change, Blair argues that the prevailing climate debate has become “riven with irrationality,” leading to public disengagement.

Instead, Blair — who is alternatively being cast as either a Shakespearean villain or a tragic hero — is advocating for a pragmatic, technology-driven approach that includes investing in carbon capture, nuclear and fusion energy and ’nature-based’ solutions. 

Net zero policies are increasingly viewed as “unaffordable, ineffective, or politically toxic” he said, undermine efforts to combat a global problem. Blair contends that while awareness of climate change is at an all-time high, “meaningful action” is declining. 

“These are the inconvenient facts, which mean that any strategy based on either ‘phasing out’ fossil fuels in the short term or limiting consumption is a strategy doomed to fail,” Blair writes.

In the report he stresses the need for international cooperation and a shift from protest to policy, urging leaders to rebuild public trust by delivering practical solutions.

The report has sparked controversy, with critics accusing Blair of undermining net-zero commitments and “providing fodder for climate skeptics.” 

The mainstream British press was filled with commentary criticizing the former PM and questioning his committment to the cause.

British climate commentaors accused Blair of downplaying “scientific urgency” and potentially encouraging fossil fuel reliance. 

Labour leader Keir Starmer defended Blair, stating that his views are “absolutely aligned” with government policy, which includes investments in carbon capture, AI and nuclear energy.

The report notes that 2024 was the warmest on record, bringing with it devastating wildfires, hurricanes and flooding, and that despite pledges to phase out fossil fuels, demand for coal, oil and gas have hit new highs.

Despite the backlash, Blair maintains that a “realistic and outcome-oriented strategy” is essential to achieving climate goals. 

“We need to redefine climate leadership and move into an age of delivery – an era of bold action, technological breakthroughs, and transformative shifts in policy,” he asserts.