Craig Williams MP has welcomed today’s announcement by the Prime Minister of a more proportionate and pragmatic approach to achieving the UK’s key Net Zero targets.
In a speech today, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made a number of announcements in doubling down on the UK’s Net Zero commitments, whilst ensuring that these targets are fair to British people and families, in easing the financial burden on working people.
Amongst the key announcements today were:
- Easing the transition to electric vehicles within the UK from 2030 to 2035 – The UK Government will delay the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by five years, bringing the UK in line with other countries including Germany, France, Australia and Canada. This will give families who are still grappling with cost-of-living pressures the right to have a choice about their vehicle.
- Delaying the installation of heat pumps when replacing oil boilers from 2026 to 2035 – households will never be forced to rip out existing boilers and will be given far more time to transition to heat pumps when a new replacement boiler would be required. Furthermore, a fifth of households will be exempted where a heat pump isn’t practical or affordable.
- Grants for those who want to install a heat pump within their homes now are being increased by 50% to £7,500.
- Scrapping onerous energy efficiency requirements – homeowners and landlords will not be forced to make any energy efficiency alterations on properties.
- No new rules which would impinge on people’s ability to make their own choices – the Prime Minister categorically ruled out imposing a number of policies such as a tax on meat, which would be hugely damaging for British farmers; a tax on flying; no new rules for carpooling and no requirement for households to have multiple recycling bins.
- Supporting new oil and gas in the North Sea so we are less reliant on foreign imports.
Welcoming today’s speech by the Prime Minister, Craig Williams MP said:
“Net Zero remains an absolute key priority for us all. Over the course of the summer show season in Montgomeryshire, one of the issues which was consistently raised with me was the UK’s Net Zero commitments. In particular, whether residents felt we were finding the right balance between achieving Net Zero by 2050, whilst not imposing the financial burden upon working people and families. Today’s new Net Zero plan is welcome news for Montgomeryshire – it is a plan which makes complete sense for rural areas and protects our farmers.
“The Prime Minister’s announcement today aims to shift the debate on climate change from its current extremes; from those who want to deny it and abandon Net Zero altogether because the costs are so high; to those who want to go further and faster with little to no regard to the financial impact on working people and families lives, or how much the UK has already achieved towards its Net Zero targets.
“This debate needs to be changed, so that we can ensure we forge a credible path to reach Net Zero by 2050, whilst adopting a more pragmatic, proportionate and realistic approach that eases the burdens on working people and brings people with us.
“I am particularly pleased by the delay of the requirement to install a heat pump in place of new oil boilers to 2035 – a concern which has been raised with me by many constituents over the last few months. In addition, a fifth of households where this simply isn’t practical or affordable will now be exempted from doing so. This is fair – the costs of decarbonising how we heat our homes should not be imposed on people and families.
“Above all, I see today’s announcement by the Prime Minister as a key turning point in reaching our Net Zero commitments. The UK has doubled down on reaching Net Zero by 2050, whilst ensuring that people are brought with us and families are not unfairly burdened in doing so.”
