THE UK Government is set to announce a major rollback of green policy commitments, reports suggest.
According to the BBC, Rishi Sunak is considering a raft of delays to climate policies and is set to promise voters there will be no further encouragement from government to change their behaviour for the betterment of the planet.
In an upcoming speech the Prime Minister is reportedly set to claim that Britain has over-delivered on climate change and will tell other countries to pull their weight.
It is suggested he will push back the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 to 2035.
He will also significantly weaken the government’s commitment to phase out the installation of gas boilers.
Currently, the UK Government has committed to the full phase out of new gas boilers by 2035.
However, Sunak is reportedly seeking to change the policy by only requiring 80% phase out by that year.
The Prime Minister will also tell voters that there will be no new taxes to discourage flying and no policies which encourage people to make their diets more environmentally sustainable.
Homeowners and landlords will also face no new energy efficiency regulations and there will be no measures which encourage people to car pool.
First Minister Humza Yousaf gave his reaction on X/Twitter:
"Scotland is engaging with the world this week at #NYClimateWeek & seeking to demonstrate further global leadership on climate change.
"While the UK Government is reportedly about to dump key net zero commitments. In the face of a climate catastrophe, this would be unforgivable."
SNP MP Gavin Newlands said the move would amount to "dangerously moronic environmental vandalism.
Hannah Martin, the co-director of campaign group Green New Deal Rising, said the move would put a green energy future for the UK in jeopardy.
She said: “Once again this Government has shown that they are hell-bent on breaking their promises and doing nothing to stop climate chaos.
“Just weeks after the hottest summer on record Rishi Sunak has decided to ignore science and stoke a culture war. “Whilst global leaders are meeting to discuss how to tackle the climate crisis, he has stayed home to set fire to some of the only remaining climate policies this Government had left.
“Not only will the UK miss out on the opportunity to create millions of good green jobs and secure our energy future, we will be once again seen as a laggard as we duck out of doing our fair share to tackle the biggest existential crisis we face.”
Earlier this year the world witnessed the hottest day on record when the average global air temperature reached 17.23C on July 7.
