Against accusations of populism
Prime Minister Sunak defends climate change
September 21, 2023, 11:39 a.m
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There is great excitement following the U-turn that British Prime Minister Sunak is aiming for on climate policy. In addition to the opposition, British companies that should benefit from the changes to the targets are also complaining. Sunak defends his measures.
After his U-turn on climate policy, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has rejected accusations that he is slowing down the fight against climate change. The government will continue to meet Britain’s climate targets, which are more ambitious than those of most other industrialized countries, the Conservative leader told the BBC. “We have consistently delivered more,” Sunak said. However, the planned changes are in the interest of the population.
Sunak had surprisingly announced numerous measures that, according to experts, would weaken Britain’s current climate policy. The end of new cars with combustion engines is to be postponed from 2030 to 2035. For existing gas and oil heating systems, there should no longer be a deadline for switching to heat pumps. Climate activists and the opposition, but also the car industry and some members of his Conservative Party sharply criticized Sunak’s move.
“I believe in net zero and I want to deliver it,” said Sunak, referring to Britain’s goal of becoming climate neutral by 2050. But it’s not about “chasing short-term headlines”, but about balanced measures that don’t impose high costs on consumers. “I will not let this stop me from doing what I believe is right for the long-term future of our children,” the Prime Minister said.
Criticism also from business
Critics accuse Sunak of relying on populist slogans in view of weak poll numbers instead of thinking about long-term consequences. The U-turn could lead to a split in the ruling Conservative Tories. According to media reports, some MPs have prepared a letter calling for a vote of no confidence. Former British prime minister and climate neutrality advocate Boris Johnson warned that “we cannot afford to hesitate now or in any way lose our ambition for this country.” Johnson set the deadline for the gasoline ban during his government.
The opposition Labor MP for energy, Ed Miliband, spoke of a “complete travesty of a Tory government that literally doesn’t know what it’s doing day in and day out”. A general election in Great Britain is expected next year. The Tories are well behind Labor in polls.
Criticism of the watering down of climate policy also came from the British economy. “Our companies need three things from the British government: ambition, commitment and consistency,” said the head of the car manufacturer Ford in Great Britain, Lisa Brankin. Weakening the 2030 target “undermines all three,” she criticized. The car lobby association SMMT spoke of “confusion and uncertainty”.