The debate only asked one question about the environment and put the onus on individuals rather than leaders to act on the climate. Candidates were asked: “What three things should people change in their lives to help tackle climate change faster?” Rishi Sunak emphasized recycling while Liz Truss extolled the virtues of green technology. In a letter, campaigners including Springwatch presenter Chris Packham said the question was “totally irresponsible” as it focused “on individual action rather than government action when the purpose of the debate was to test the credentials of the candidates as the next prime minister. “. The letter, also signed by the World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace and the Green Alliance, said: “The purpose of a leaders’ debate is to question our future prime minister about their policy positions on vital issues so that the public can makes an informed choice about which candidate will do the best job for their country. This question failed to give them those answers. “For this to happen at a time when the cost of living is driving millions into poverty, largely due to fossil fuel prices and rising energy bills, is unacceptable.” During the debate, as much time was spent discussing Sunak’s expensive suits and shoes and Travis’ earrings as the climate crisis and the environment. Max Wakefield, campaigns director at climate charity Possible, said: “In 2019 Possible campaigned for the leaders’ televised climate debate for the election because broadcasters were ignoring the seriousness of the climate crisis. Three years later, little has changed. Instead of asking Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss how to fix the holes in their climate plans, the BBC asked a question about what people at home can do. “Prime ministers are not elected as agony aunts: we don’t need to listen to their domestic eco-advice rather than their personal wellness ideas for managing NHS waiting lists. What the public needs is to hear how the next prime minister will tackle the climate crisis head-on.” The letter calls on the BBC to improve its focus on the climate crisis in its leadership coverage over the coming weeks and to acknowledge that the question in the debate was insufficient and the time allocated was too short. It also calls on the broadcaster to guarantee that in future leadership debates, even before a general election, the climate crisis is treated as a matter of government rather than solely personal responsibility. Subscribe to First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7am. BST A BBC spokesman said: “We agree that climate change is one of the most serious challenges facing the next Prime Minister and it is a subject that BBC News covers thoroughly. “This debate was designed to question the candidates about their policy differences, their character and the impact their premiership would have on the lives of the wider public, and therefore included a question specifically on climate change, worded in actions we can all take to mitigate its effects. “We will continue to cover the leadership contest and ask the candidates about their policies, including climate change.”
