Sunak: Critics must justify asking Brits to ‘fork out thousands for early net zero transition’
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has hit back at critics of his climbdown from green energy pledges, challenging them to explain why families should bear the costs of the transition to net zero energy.
He told the BBC that while “lots of people disagreed” with his decision, it was hard to justify telling households they have to pay for costly boiler upgrades and electric cars ahead of rival markets.
“They should explain to the country why they think it is right for ordinary families up and down the country should have to fork out £5,000 to £15,000 to make the transition earlier than is necessary, and to do things that aren’t possible for them,” he said.
Instead, he wanted to take a “proportionate and pragmatic” approach to reaching net zero, to sustain consent for the country’s climate goals and not place more burdens on Brits.
Sunak also dismissed claims he had undermined business certainty – believing his announcements would assure firms that the government was going to “get to net zero in a sensible way.”
Yesterday, major car companies like Ford and the SMMT, criticised the move after having heavily invested in the electric car and battery market.
Sunak felt it was vital the UK had a “clear and deliverable plan” for reaching net zero, rather than chasing headlines and the “short-term popularity that might give.”
He claimed government now had a “roadmap that will have broad consent that will allow businesses to plan with certainty.”
“The worst thing for businesses is if you go too far too fast, and crucially don’t bring the public with you, and are forced to change further down the track – that’s no good for business,” he said.
His comments follow his speech last night, where he confirmed plans to soften plans to phase out new sales of petrol and diesel cars by the end of the decade, extending the transition date to 2035.
He has also pushed back the oil and gas boiler ban, ditching the 2035 date while reducing its target from 100 per cent of households to just 80 per cent.
Sunak announced the rowback on pledges, while reiterating his support for the UK’s legally binding net zero target in 2050.
However, the Prime Minister’s attempts to strike a balancing act between reaching net zero and ensuring the UK’s climate goals were affordable failed to impress energy bosses last night – who raised concerns over further unpredictability to the UK’s investment climate.
Vattenfall, the Swedish company which recently pulled out of a large scale domestic wind project off the coast of Norfolk, warned the government risked investment being withdrawn from the UK.
Meanwhile, Raman Bhatia, chief executive of Ovo Energy raised concerns, and said this was “not the time to roll back on pledges.”
Nigel Pocklington, chief executive of Good Energy said accused Sunak of “sticking two fingers up” at British businesses, while Chris Norbury, chief executive at Eon UK, regarded the announcements to be a “mis-step on many levels.”
Net zero has the support of 71 per cent of Brits, according to recent polling from survey specialists You Gov.