Rishi Sunak has indicated he is ready to soften the government’s green policies, saying he did not want to “hassle” voters and that hitting the UK’s net zero carbon emissions target had to be done in a “proportionate” way.
The prime minister insisted on Monday that “net zero is important to me” but made it clear that he hopes to draw a dividing line between the Conservatives and Labour on environmental issues ahead of the next general election.
The issue is a hot political topic after the Tories clung on to the Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency in a parliamentary by-election last week, where voters protested against a plan by London’s Labour mayor Sadiq Khan to extend to Greater London a charge on heavily polluting vehicles.
Sunak hopes to present the Conservatives as more reasonable than Labour in meeting the UK goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, suggesting he would soften green policies where necessary.
“We’re going to make progress towards net zero but we’re going to do that in a proportionate and pragmatic a way that doesn’t unnecessarily give people more hassle and more costs in their lives,” he said.
Asked if would stand up to Tory MPs who wanted him to drop goals such as a proposed 2030 ban on the sale of new diesel and petrol cars, Sunak suggested he was listening to their concerns.
“I’m standing up for the British people because I’m also cognisant that we’re living through a time at the moment where inflation is high,” he said. “That’s having an impact on household and families’ bills. I don’t want to add to that, I want to make it easier.”
Downing Street later insisted Sunak was sticking to headline green commitments, while at the same time injecting caveats to suggest they could be delayed or watered down.
Sunak’s spokesman said the 2030 target for banning sales of new cars running on fossil fuels “remains our commitment”, but added: “We will scrutinise this approach and make sure it’s the correct one.”
Downing Street also said it was committed to a target of banning the installation of new gas boilers in homes from 2035, but stated: “It is right that we consider how technology evolves . . . as we progress towards 2035.”
While denying that all green policies were up for review, Sunak’s spokesperson said: “These are long-term commitments for a long-term problem. It is right, if the situation changes and technology evolves, we keep our position under review.”
Housing secretary Michael Gove told the Sunday Telegraph his own department was “asking too much too quickly” from landlords in terms of requiring them to invest in heat pumps and insulation, adding: “I think we should relax the pace.”
The Uxbridge result, and the furore over Khan’s plans to extend London’s ultra low emissions zone next month, has suddenly raised political tensions on how exactly the UK proceeds to its 2050 net zero emissions target.
One Tory figure said MPs on the party’s rightwing were planning to promote themselves as “clean rather than green”: opposing sewage overflows into rivers, but being more reticent on other costly environmental measures.
The Conservatives accuse Labour of being overzealous on environmental issues and not paying due attention to the concerns of hard-pressed households.
In recent weeks Sunak has criticised Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer for his proposed ban on new North Sea oil and gas exploration licences, a move that the Conservatives claim would leave Britain dependent on imported hydrocarbons during the transition to clean energy.
Sunak has also criticised Starmer for planning to borrow £28bn a year to fund Labour’s proposed green economy transition, and there are signs that Starmer is starting to retreat.
Labour has said the £28bn total will not be reached in the first half of the next parliament, while Starmer has urged Khan to reconsider plans to expand London’s ultra low emissions zone: something the mayor has promised to do.
An ally of the London mayor said: “Sadiq remains committed to implementing Ulez but is happy to look at any new ideas for ways to mitigate the impact on Londoners without reducing the effectiveness of the policy on tackling air quality and climate change.”
A Labour spokesperson said the party’s plans would help people with their household bills by smoothing the way to cheaper, green energy. “It helps us if the Tories want to get out of that space,” said one ally of Starmer.