UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is considering diluting some of his green policies, according to a person familiar with the matter, including delaying a ban on petrol and diesel cars.
Sunak is weighing deferring the proposed 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars to 2035 and weakening a plan to phase out gas boilers, said the person, who asked not to be identified as the government hasn’t yet made the decision public.
The UK has a goal of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050, but Sunak has faced pressure from within his own Conservative Party to scale back parts of his green agenda to ease the burden on consumers.
“The government remains completely committed to its net zero commitments, with the UK having cut emissions faster than any other G-7 country,” a government spokesperson said about the proposed changes, which were first reported by the BBC. “Our approach will always be pragmatic and ensure costs are not passed onto hard-working families. We will not comment on speculation.”
The earlier BBC report said Sunak is due to set out his thinking in a speech in the coming days.
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Sunak easing off his green agenda would open an electoral divide with the main opposition Labour Party, which enjoys a double-digit lead in the polls over Sunak’s Conservatives ahead of a national vote expected next year. Labour, led by Keir Starmer, has said it would put a major focus on green policies if it came to power.
The expected move by Sunak would also come amid recent efforts to reset his premiership and respond to internal criticisms that he’s been too timid and insufficiently political as a leader. The Conservatives’ most recent electoral success was defending the seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip in a special election in July, where the victory was strongly influenced by the Tories’ opposition to the expansion of London’s ultra low emission zone.
