Sunak says UK changes net zero path to ease burden on people

In a speech on Wednesday, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the government is adopting a more pragmatic approach to reaching net zero “that eases the burdens on working people.”

Some of the things outlined were the possibility to buy petrol and diesel cars until 2035 and to buy and sell them second-hand after that and giving people more time to replace existing boilers with heat pumps.

Sunak still said he is not abandoning any targets or commitments.

Expectedly, the speech was not well received by the green industry.

RenewableUK’s chief executive Dan McGrail said the announcements “will undoubtedly knock investor confidence, as many green technology leaders are now nervous about the increasing uncertainty around net zero policies in the UK.”

“The Government is going to have to outline clear measures to restore market confidence in the Autumn Statement, not least to ensure that we can compete against the USA, Europe and China for investment at a time when the global race to build new renewable energy projects has never been more intense,” he added.

Nina Skorupska, chief executive of the REA (Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology), commented: “While badged as a 'pragmatic response' to the cost-of-living crisis and the UK's (undoubted) good progress to date on cutting emissions, it is hard not to see today's news as a retrograde step arguably designed to play to the PM's base before party-conference season and pre-election."

Energy UK’s chief executive, Emma Pinchbeck, warned: “Sudden changes to policies and targets like this are damaging to the very investment we need to fund the move towards Net Zero and jeopardise the economic benefits and opportunities this transformation could bring in terms of jobs, growth and greater prosperity to all parts of the country.” She also emphasised that what has hit people in the pocket hard in the past year and a half has been the cost of oil and gas.

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