Rishi announced that the ban on petrol cars would be extended to 2035 (which now aligns with the EU), that gas boilers could remain longer, and he announced further changes to items such as insulation that we not in force anyway.
He’s right about one thing, unless we take people with us on the Net Zero journey we are going nowhere. In his announcement he has waved the white flag and said that in 2023 we have already lost the argument for supporting policies due to be implemented in 7 years’ time.
This is a blow to investor confidence in the UK. At a time when the US and the EU are wooing green investors, this sends a clear message that the UK is staying dirty. It will increase costs for people as uncertainty is what business hates.
In a quote to Reuters - Lisa Brankin, the chair of Ford UK, was scathing on the change to the 2030 EV car target: "Our business needs three things from the UK government: ambition, commitment and consistency. A relaxation of 2030 would undermine all three."
The right-wing media reaction has been positive, with the Mail, Express and Telegraph all posting supportive headlines. Rishi needs these papers on board for next years’ election.
What should he have done? There was no need to change the car deadline, this just makes things harder. For homes a far greater support system needs to be in place, had the message been ‘we are here to support you in making green choices’ then he would have been applauded by all.
The question remains, who is going to pay for Net Zero. Unfortunately, we are all going to pay. Regardless of whether this is passed to consumers, collected in taxes, or provided in subsidies. The cost of Net Zero will be £1000 per person per year for 30 years, and we need everyone to be honest about this.
