Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s recent delay to key climate targets will actually cost many households more, rather than saving them money as he claimed, his own climate advisers have concluded.
In a major speech last month, Mr Sunak pushed back the end of new petrol and diesel car sales from 2030 to 2035, and scrapped a plan to make landlords improve the energy efficiency of their properties, which would have saved renters money on bills.
He also exempted some households from replacing gas boilers with a greener alternative, as part of a “pragmatic” rethink on the cost of the UK’s net zero climate policies.
Amid scepticism over the prime minister’s claims he was saving homes thousands of pounds, the Climate Change Committee (CCC), ran the numbers on the impact on people’s pockets.
It found renters will have to pay more for energy in less efficient homes, while drivers who move to electric cars later rather than sooner will face higher costs through their vehicle’s lifetime.
Professor Piers Forster, chair of the CCC, said: “Our position as a global leader on climate has come under renewed scrutiny following the prime minister’s speech.
“We urge the government to restate strong British leadership on climate change in the crucial period before the next climate summit, COP28 in Dubai.”
Mr Sunak said the government remained committed to net zero by 2050, which means cutting emissions as much as possible and offsetting the rest.
The CCC, which had in June already warned the UK was moving too slowly to meet its climate targets, said the prime minister had failed to provide any evidence to prove the new changes were compatible.
“We remain concerned about the likelihood of achieving the UK’s future targets,” Prof Forster added.
Whereas the government’s policy had been to phase out all new gas boilers in buildings by 2035 and replace them with heat pumps or other low-carbon methods, Mr Sunak’s speech in September announced that 20% of households would be…
