FAMILIES’ energy bills will be higher because of Rishi Sunak’s rollback on net zero policies, his climate advisers have warned.
The Climate Change Committee (CCC) said yesterday (THURS) that the delays will make net zero emission harder to achieve.
The Prime Minister last month delayed a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 until 2035.
He also said 20 per cent of households will not have to replace their gas boilers with low-carbon alternatives – while a plan to make landlords improve the energy efficiency of their properties was scrapped.
UK emissions are supposed to fall by 68 per compared with 1990 levels by the end of the decade, but the CCC said there remains a “substantial policy gap” in achieving this.
Professor Piers Forster, chair of the CCC, said: “We remain concerned about the likelihood of achieving the UK’s future targets, especially the substantial policy gap to the UK’s 2030 goal.
“Around a fifth of the required emissions reductions to 2030 are covered by plans that we assess as insufficient.
“Recent policy announcements were not accompanied by estimates of their effect on future emissions, nor evidence to back the Government’s assurance that the UK’s targets will still be met.
“We urge the Government to adopt greater transparency in updating its analysis at the time of major announcements.”
Mr Sunak insisted the Government remains committed to reaching net zero by 2050 but has not provided any evidence to prove the new changes are compatible with the target.
The CCC welcomed some of the Government’s changes, such as the deal to electrify the Tata Steel plant in Port Talbot and the Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, which should see 80 per cent of new cars sold with zero emissions by 2030.
It said the ZEV mandate will likely offset Mr Sunak’s delay to selling fossil fuel cars, though stressed the change could weaken confidence among businesses and consumers in the burgeoning industry.
It will also load more costs onto drivers in the long term as it is cheaper to run an electric vehicle over the car’s lifetime, the committee added.
The CCC said the decision to scrap requirement for landlords to upgrade insulation within five years could drive up bills.
A Government spokesperson said: “We are taking a fairer and more pragmatic approach to meeting net zero that eases burdens on families – saving households up to £15,000 on upfront costs to upgrade their homes.
“We will continue to meet our international commitments under the Paris Agreement, while embracing the opportunities of clean industries – supporting thousands of British jobs, driving economic growth – while protecting national security and bringing down energy bills in the long term.”
