Car makers Ford have criticized Rishi Sunak‘s proposal to postpone the ban on selling new petrol cars from 2030.
Rishi Sunak is going to make a speech this week to explain a big decision he has made for the future. There are reports that he might change his mind about some of the government’s goals for the environment.
The BBC reports that the ban on selling new petrol and diesel vehicles may be delayed by five years until 2035.
Many people think that the prime minister will push back the plans to get rid of gas boilers by 2035.
Many people are unhappy about the plan to weaken several green policies. Members of the Tory party, senior Labour officials, environmental groups, and even car manufacturers are disappointed.
Talking about the prohibition of petrol cars, Lisa Brankin, the chairwoman of Ford UK, said that our company requires three things from the UK government: a strong desire, dedication, and reliability.
‘If the rules are relaxed in 2030, it would weaken or harm all three things. ‘
Ford said it decided how much money to spend on cars by looking at the goal for the year 2030.
Mr Sunak said yesterday that he is still dedicated to reaching the goal of having no net emissions by 2050, but he plans to achieve it in a more effective and fair manner.
He said that politicians from all parties have not been truthful about how much things cost and the compromises that need to be made. He also said that previous Conservative governments chose the easier option by saying we can have everything without any issues.
Mr Sunak indicated that he would prioritize the future wellbeing of our country over immediate political concerns. He aimed to present himself as someone who would bring significant and meaningful improvements.
The prime minister said that despite suggestions he will break some Conservative promises to reach the net zero goal, the government is not giving up on its ambitions or commitments.
Important members of the Conservative party have expressed their disapproval of a possible defector on environmental policies.
Former Cop26 president, Sir Alok Sharma, has stated that it is not beneficial for any party to give up on the climate action agenda, as it would have negative effects on both the economy and their chances of getting elected.
The former Cabinet minister Sir Simon Clarke, who is part of the Conservative Party, shared on Twitter that it is important for us to take responsibility for this matter instead of rejecting it, as it affects the environment, economy, morality, and our political interests.
Some Tory politicians are thinking about writing letters to show they do not have confidence in Mr Sunak if he continues with the changes.
The party did well in the Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election last summer by campaigning against the expansion of the ultra low emission zone (Ulez). Now, other MPs are asking Mr. Sunak to weaken or give up on the commitment to reach net zero emissions.
There are reports that the prime minister might cancel plans for new energy-saving goals for homes that are rented privately.
The Conservative politician, Dame Andrea Jenkyns, showed her support for Mr. Sunak She said to ITV News: ‘We have gone through a tough time with Covid and the war in Ukraine, both in our country and around the world. ‘
We can’t expect people to change the heating system and cars on top of everything else.
And I don’t want the lower-income people to be the ones who have to pay for the middle-income people to have electric cars.
But Chris Skidmore, a former energy minister from the Conservative party, who has been speaking up more about the goal of achieving net zero emissions, said: “If this is true, choosing not to commit to industries of the future will result in the UK losing jobs, inward investment, and potential economic growth. ”
This could lead to loss of thousands of jobs and investments moving away. The people who will suffer from this will be ordinary homeowners who will have to pay more for their energy bills because we still rely on expensive and unreliable fossil fuels from other countries.
Zac Goldsmith, a member of the Tory party, resigned as environment minister in June. He strongly criticized Mr. Sunak for not caring enough about the environment. Goldsmith accused the Prime Minister of damaging the UK’s reputation on climate issues.
Labour’s shadow energy secretary Ed Miliband said that the actions of the Conservative government are ridiculous and show that they have no clue about what they are doing on a daily basis.
For thirteen years, our energy policy has not been successful. This has led to a crisis with our energy bills, made our energy security weaker, caused us to lose jobs, and failed to address the climate crisis.
Green Party parliament member Caroline Lucas said: ‘This choice would be financially unwise, factually wrong and environmentally foolish.
This unfair rollback will result in higher costs for energy, colder houses, fewer job opportunities, more air pollution, and increased climate issues.
Mike Childs, who is in charge of making decisions at Friends of the Earth, said that it would be very wrong to go back on important promises to fight climate change, especially when the world is experiencing severe flooding and wildfires.