Kemi Badenoch will face a major pushback against her watered down environmental policies today as a potential challenger for the Tory leadership urges her to ignore climate change 'luddites'.
Sir James Cleverly will use a major speech tonight to urge her to position the Conservatives to work to 'set the pace' internationally on green technology so the UK can challenge China.
The former home and foreign secretary will lash out at the 'negative right' in British politics that claims 'the way things are now is just fine', as well as a 'negative left' that is 'suspicious of technology'.
His intervention comes as the Tories seek to take on Reform UK, which has pledged to scrap net zero entirely and whose deputy leader, Richard Tice, has claimed there is 'no evidence' for man-made climate change, contrary to scientific consensus.
But it also comes just three months after Mrs Badenoch kicked off her party's policy renewal process in March by saying it was 'impossible' to reach net zero by 2050, a target the Tories had been committed to since 2019.
In a speech to the Conservative Environment Network (CEN), the former home secretary, who ran against Mrs Badenoch for the party leadership last year, is expected to urge his party to 'push further, faster and smarter' and 'set the pace' internationally on green technology.
He will say: 'The 'let's not move forward' tribe is in a bidding war with the 'let's move backwards' tribe. They're both wrong.'
Drawing on Britain's 'proud history of innovation', he will add: 'We can lead once again, this time in the realm of green technology.'
Former home secretary Sir James Cleverly will use a major speech tonight to urge her to position the Conservatives to 'set the pace' internationally on green technology.
It comes just three months after Mrs Badenoch kicked off her party's policy renewal process in March by saying it was 'impossible' to reach net zero by 2050, a target the Tories had been committed to since 2019.
'While government plays a role, the private sector must be the engine driving this green revolution.'
'The UK is advancing rapidly in renewable energy generation, clean transport, and carbon capture. But we must push further, faster and smarter.'
The intervention, Sir James's first major speech since last year's Tory leadership election, comes after Mrs Badenoch declared herself a 'net zero sceptic'.
In his CEN speech, Sir James is expected to urge a different course, saying the Conservatives 'must embrace a future where environmental polities encourage investment in new technologies, support the development of new industries, and create the jobs of tomorrow'.
The former foreign secretary will also call for the UK to play a leadership role on climate and export new technologies around the world.
And he will warn that nations such as China could take the lead internationally if Britain steps back.
Sir James will say: 'It's in our national interest to ensure no country - whether China or anyone else - monopolises the resources powering tomorrow's industries.'
His intervention comes as the Tories seek to take on Reform UK, which has pledged to scrap net zero entirely.