Less than four months after Rishi Sunak tried to persuade voters he was U-turning on major net zero targets to avoid “unacceptable costs,” his government has celebrated introducing “the most ambitious regulatory framework [promoting decarbonisation] … of any country in the world” (emphasis added).
New laws, brought into action on January 3rd, mandate that 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans sold in Britain will now be zero emission by 2030, increasing to 100% by 2035. The government insists the 2035 deadline—now just 11 years away—is “pragmatic.”
Decarbonisation Minister Anthony Browne claimed that “our zero emission vehicle mandate will further boost the economy and support manufacturers to safeguard skilled British jobs in the automotive industry.” The government is also now spending hundreds of millions of pounds on rolling out electric vehicle infrastructure.
This announcement signals new laws which would force drivers to switch to electric vehicles, by banning new petrol car sales, backed by a system of fines. While the PM said in September that the was being pushed back from 2030 to 2035, this target is still five years ahead of the original 2040 deadline.
A minority of House of Commons MPs have criticised ministers for appearing to move ahead with the plan without considering its costly and destructive consequences. Tory MP Sir John Redwood said that driving up prices in Britain will be “very popular in China” alone, given the country’s dominance in the electric vehicle market. He added:
The new regulations requiring the sale of more electric cars backed by heavy fines are wrong. The government and industry should concentrate on improving the attractions of EVs, not on trying to make people buy cars they do not want and cannot afford.
Dissenting members such as Redwood are unlikely to deflect the Conservatives from their seemingly unstoppable drive to net zero. One reason for this is that backbench criticisms receive far less press coverage than statements issued by environmentalists, including former ‘net zero tsar’ Chris Skidmore who this month resigned as an MP— because the government isn’t doing enough to cut car use.
