Jeremy Clarkson rips apart Ed Miliband over Net Zero pipe dream: 'Scientists, not politicians!'

Olivia Gantzer

By Olivia Gantzer


Published: 14/02/2026

- 17:49

The former Top Gear star argued scientists should be trusted over politicians when it comes to climate proposals

Jeremy Clarkson has launched a scathing attack on Ed Miliband's approach to tackling climate change, suggesting the Energy Secretary's policies pale in comparison to cutting-edge scientific solutions emerging in other parts of the world.

The former Top Gear presenter cited UN climate expert's recent declaration that achieving Net Zero targets would prove insufficient to prevent environmental catastrophe, with the scientist arguing that actively removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere was necessary.


Writing for his column in The Sun, the presenter explained he was initially dismissive of the idea, but acknowledged that such technology already exists and is operational in Canada, where facilities are successfully extracting CO2 from the air.

This technological advancement, he argued, stands in stark contrast to what he characterised as Mr Miliband's underwhelming climate strategy for the UK.

Jeremy Clarkson

Jeremy Clarkson slammed Ed Miliband in his latest column

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He noted how the Canadian system operates by drawing atmospheric air into a specialised containment vessel, where complex chemical processes separate the carbon dioxide from other gases.

The Grand Tour star penned: "And then, after a bit more chemistry is deployed, all the CO2 that was in the air is in a box.

"It’s probably not an actual box but you get my drift. After this, things get really clever because they say this gas could one day be pumped into depleted oil and gas reservoirs, down pipes that were used originally for getting the oil and gas out. How brilliant is that?!"

Mr Clarkson then mocked Mr Miliband's domestic climate agenda, dismissing it as woefully inadequate when measured against such technological innovation.

Ed Miliband and Keir Starmer

Jeremy Clarkson ripped apart Ed Miliband's Net Zero plans

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He wrote: "Meanwhile in Britain, we have Ed Miliband, who thinks that all our problems can be solved if we go to work on a bicycle and stop eating meat.

"I've always argued that our problems are always solved, eventually, by scientists, not politicians.

"It's the boffins that cure diseases and end wars.

"And it was science that gave us planes, and central heating and the mobile telephone and all of the things that make our lives better and easier and safer."

Jeremy Clarkson

Jeremy Clarkson expressed how he trusts 'boffins' over politicians when it comes to scientific advances

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He concluded: "Let me put it to you this way. If a giant extinction-level asteroid was heading for Earth, who would you trust to save us?

"A room full of men in white coats, or Ed Miliband?"

Mr Clarkson's column doesn't mark the first instance of the presenter wading into politics this week.

He recently mocked a pro-Palestine activist on X, sparking outrage from many social media users.

Keir Starmer and Ed Miliband

Jeremy Clarkson said Ed Miliband plans to reverse climate change by urging people to 'go to work on a bicycle and stop eating meat'

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The remark was prompted when one X user branded another an "idiot" for praising Mr Clarkson's series Clarkson's Farm, which has often been credited for highlighting issues farmers in the UK face.

Not one to shy away from confrontation, Mr Clarkson himself decided to intervene when he saw the online interaction.

Mr Clarkson noted the X user had "Free Palestine" written in his social media bio, prompting the presenter to fire back: "Why don’t you have Gaza marches when it’s cold and raining?"

However, this led to many other pro-Palestine supporters blasting Mr Clarkson for using the cause as a means of mocking someone.