Net Zero U-turn: Sunak confirms delay to petrol and diesel car ban until 2035
Rishi Sunak has confirmed the rolling back of green pledges including the delay to the petrol and diesel car sales ban until 2035 as he faces down industry backlash and Tory divisions.
Speaking in Downing Street this afternoon, the Prime Minister outlined what he said was a “pragmatic, proportionate and realistic” strategy for the UK to reduce its carbon emissions.
Sunak told reporters he was committed to tackling climate change which he said was “real and happening” and marked a change “as profound as the industrial revolution” and vowed the UK was not “abandoning any of our targets and commitments”.
He said: “If we continue down this path we risk losing the consent of the British people… meaning we might never achieve our goal.
“We need sensible green leadership. The test should be, do we have the fairest credible path to reach net zero by 2050 in a way that brings people with us?”
But he said he wanted to “adopt a more pragmatic, proportionate and realistic approach” to hitting net zero while “easing the burden on working people”.
Confirmed measures include: allowing people to buy new petrol and diesel cars and vans until 2035 and extending the deadline to install heat pumps and introducing exemptions.
People will still be able to sell those types of vehicles second-hand after 2035, which puts the UK in line with EU countries like Germany and France.
The prime minister also relaxed the timeline for the transition to heating homes with green energy.
Households will only have to replace gas boilers when they’re making the transition anyway, and not until 2035. While some households will be entirely exempt, he said.
The boiler upgrade scheme will also be increased by 50 per cent to £7,500, he added, saying the money has “no strings attached” and “will never need to be repaid”.
Sunak also confirmed the government would not introduce taxes on eating meat or taking flights; mandate households to have seven different bins; or make car sharing compulsory.
He also said there would be no ban on oil and gas in the North Sea – but pledged that the UK would also hit net zero by 2050.
But the move has been pilloried by Conservative MPs, the auto-industry, and campaigners who branded it “unnecessary” and “damaging”.
Sam Hall, from the Conservative Environment Network, said: “This was an unnecessary speech that risks damaging the party’s hard-won reputation on environmental issues.
“The framing of today’s announcements has created an unhelpful impression for voters that the party is backtracking on climate action.”
Andrew Aide, from SEC Newgate, said: “What we now have is the net-zero can being kicked down the road with the onus on corporates and consumers to act based purely on their own convictions.
“Today’s announcement runs counter to the focus that corporates have rightly put on delivering the net-zero transition and essentially surrenders any claim that the UK has to be a leader on the green economy.”
Former minister Simon Clarke issued a sceptical take, despite welcoming “announcements around more support for boiler upgrades and planning reform” as “very positive”.
But he countered: “A lot of straw men have been offered up which simply weren’t policy. Nobody serious in politics was talking about banning flying, taxing meat etc.”
The speech came after a last-minute cabinet call after an apparent leak of the plans was revealed on Tuesday night, fuelling speculation of a possible spring 2024 general election.
A speech had been due to take place later this week but was brought forward by No10 in a bid for the government to drive the narrative.
Labour has not officially said whether it would recommit to the 2030 ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars after 2030, but a report in the i suggested this was likely.