It creates uncertainty, will deter investors and probably won’t win voters
. The prime minister snipped at his predecessors for imposing unnecessary costs on people rather than letting them choose when to make changes. He said a target to end the sale of new polluting vehicles by 2030 would be delayed. Another, to phase out new gas boilers by 2035, would be weakened. Regulations on energy efficiency and the use of oil boilers would be loosened, too.
He has been weighing such moves since a by-election in Uxbridge in July, where a backlash over a charge for drivers of polluting cars in outer London helped the Conservatives cling to the seat. Labour, which has a stubborn lead of around 20 points in national polls, has promised more ambitious climate action. If Mr Sunak hopes attacking itsIt is true, as he was at pains to say, that reaching net zero will be both costlier and more disruptive than many politicians admit.
The immediate consequence will be questions about Britain’s commitment to emissions targets and uncertainty for businesses. Mr Sunak emphasised that Britain had cut emissions faster than others since 1990. But the country is off course for its legal climate targets beyond 2028. In 2022 a court ordered the government to publish more details to show how it would get back on track. Mr Sunak’s new approach will probably provoke another legal challenge.
It is stable, long-term policies that drive down the costs of new technologies. In March, renewables provided 47% of Britain’s electricity production. But too often, action has been hindered by stop-start schemes. Britain’s market for insulating homes and installing heat pumps remains tiny, partly because firms have been burned by repeated policy changes. More delays will not help.
The backtracking on electric vehicles was most surprising. Just two months ago, the government promised a £500m subsidy to Tata, an Indian conglomerate, for a new battery plant in Somerset. Other carmakers immediately reacted angrily. Ford said the industry needed “ambition, commitment and consistency” from government, all of which had been undermined.
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