Is the government looking for an excuse to throw the baby out with bathwater? 

The Net zero review looks like an enabler for a change of direction, coming as initiatives like retrofit and minimum energy efficiency standards are really beginning to show positive results. 

Net zero review: terms of reference are available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-net-zero/net-zero-review-terms-of-reference

The focus of the review seems to be on making energy cheap and readily available, so it doesn't matter how much we use (and waste), as long as we can grow the economy. Reading the 'Purpose' of the review, growth appears to be the only thing that matters to the authors. 

Worrying phrases like “rapidly increase and strengthen UK energy production” minimise costs… “particularly in the short-term” indicate a knee jerk reaction to current pressures. 

Using up all our resources, even if they are theoretically carbon neutral is not sustainable. Nor is it sensible to undo much that has already been achieved by a reversal of direction on existing net zero strategies that already have momentum. 

Creating energy that is zero carbon by means that damages the environment in other ways is not going to fix the issues we face. Not using energy is always going to be better than using cheap energy, even if in theory it is zero carbon. 

Carbon is a convenient indicator for one of the issues facing the planet, but there are other issues and other indicators. Doing things that are bad for the environment and justifying them because they tick the net zero box is self-delusion. It is important for input into this consultation to demonstrate that there is a bigger picture than the one it seem to be choosing to look at.