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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Nadeem Badshah (now) and Andrew Sparrow (earlier)

Rishi Sunak delays some green targets and scraps others as he reveals net zero policy shift – as it happened

​​Rishi Sunak Ford United Kingdom Boris Johnson Jack Surfleet Sam Coates Petrol Daily Mail

A summary of today's developments

  • Rishi Sunak has announced he is delaying the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in the UK from 2030 to 2035, triggering criticism from opposition MPs and sections of the property and car industry.

  • The PM said he still expects that by 2030 “the vast majority” of cars will be electric because of improving technology.

  • He added there will be “far more time” to transition from gas boilers to heat pumps

  • A boiler upgrade scheme, which gives people cash grants, will be increased by 50% to £7,500 and there will be an exemption for the homes which will most struggle to switch to heat pumps.

  • Plans to force landlords to upgrade the energy efficiency of properties have been scrapped.

  • Labour said it is recommitted to retaining the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars.

  • Sunak insisted he remains committed to net zero by 2050 but wants to “bring people with us”. Ed Miliband, the shadow climate and net zero secretary, described Sunak’s speech as “an act of weakness”.

  • The RAC Foundation said the change in policy contradicted the “huge sums of money” that the government has spent on electric battery production. Its research estimated if the UK is to meet its carbon reduction obligations then at least 37% of all miles driven by cars, taxis and vans will need to be zero emission by 2030.

We’re closing this blog now. Thanks for reading

Updated

Rishi Sunak has been accused of leaving the motoring industry “high and dry” after delaying a ban on new petrol and diesel cars.

Ian Plummer, commercial director at Auto Trader, said: “The PM has left the industry and drivers high and dry by sacrificing the 2030 target on the altar of political advantage.

“According to our research, only half of people could see how an EV (electric vehicle) could fit into their lifestyle as it is, suggesting major barriers to adoption.

“We should be positively addressing concerns over affordability and charging rather than planting seeds of doubt.

“This announcement has only served to remove trust and confidence in the UK market.”

The RAC Foundation said the change contradicted the “huge sums of money” that the government has already spent on electric battery production.

Steve Gooding, director of the transport research organisation, said RAC research estimated if the UK is to meet its carbon reduction obligations then at least 37% of all miles driven by cars, taxis and vans will need to be zero emission by 2030.

Here is some reaction from groups representing renters, property owners and landlords to today’s announcement.

Dan Wilson Craw, the deputy chief executive of Generation Rent, said: “Cancelling higher standards for rented homes is a colossal error by the government. Leaving the impact on the climate to one side, it makes the cost of living crisis worse and damages renters’ health.

“One in four private renters lives in fuel poverty and, without targets for landlords to improve their properties, they face many more years of unaffordable bills.

“Energy efficiency is also an essential part of a home’s quality. Backtracking leaves the government’s levelling up mission to halve the number of non-decent rented homes in shreds.”

The National Residential Landlords Association said landlords would welcome not having to spend “substantial sums of money” on energy efficiency improvements to properties, but criticised uncertainty over government policy as “hugely damaging to the supply of rented properties”.

Ben Beadle, its chief executive, said: “The NRLA wants to see all properties as energy efficient as possible. However, the uncertainty surrounding energy efficiency policy has been hugely damaging to the supply of rented properties.

“Landlords are struggling to make investment decisions without a clear idea of the government’s direction of travel.”

The British Property Federation called for more clarity on the roadmap for decarbonising the UK’s buildings.

Melanie Leech, its chief executive, commented: “Today’s speech from the prime minister was deeply frustrating for the investors and property owners who have already made long-term plans and financial commitments to ensure they can play their part in meeting the UK’s climate change commitments.”

Updated

Policy changes announced today could cost British households almost £8bn in higher bills over the next decade and more if gas prices spike again, due to cancelling new energy efficiency regulations for the private rental sector, according to analysis by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU).

There could be further impacts for household bills due to changes to the phase-out of oil boilers for off-gas grid homes.

Costs to the NHS due to poor housing could reach £1.2bn a year, or £12bn over the next decade.

More generally, if gas demand remains high across the economy, the UK could pay an extra £150bn over 10 years to overseas gas producers, compared with if the government introduced policies to ambitiously cut gas demand.

Jess Ralston, energy analyst at ECIU, said: “This looks chaotic and not the way long-term policy should be made around important issues, with emergency cabinet meetings and investors spooked.”

Updated

The Countryside Alliance was among the organisations that campaigned against the ban on new oil boilers, arguing that it would have a disproportionate effect on rural communities.

Tim Bonner, its chief executive, said: “The countryside is committed to fighting climate change and playing its part, but net zero policies, however well intentioned, must not disproportionately impact rural communities.

“The PM is right to provide significantly more time for people to transition to heat pumps, understanding that in some circumstances it just won’t work.

It is also right, in a cost-of-living crisis, that further financial support will be offered to those switching to heat pumps. Many rural people have been quoted eye-watering sums.”

Updated

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has addressed Sunak’s new policy at the UN climate summit in New York.

Updated

The Conservative Environment Network has told Rishi Sunak his watering down of green policies risks reputational damage for the Tories.

Its director, Sam Hall, said: “This was an unnecessary speech that risks damaging the Conservative party’s hard-won reputation on environmental issues.

“Today the PM has changed little of substance besides delaying the transition to electric cars.

“Sticking to the 2030 deadline would have saved UK motorists money, supported car firms that have invested in new EV factories, and unlocked crucial investment in charge-point infrastructure.”

Updated

Demanding parliament be recalled so MPs can debate the prime minister’s decision to u-turn on key net-zero policies, the SNP’s Cabinet Office spokesperson, Kirsty Blackman, MP said: “This is an arrogant move from an arrogant prime minister.

“Announcing sweeping U-turns that could have catastrophic effects on our climate is one thing, but to do so in recess shows he’s feart of the scrutiny and damnation MPs, from the SNP in particular, will level on his devastating plans to roll back on climate commitments.

“Parliament should be recalled immediately so MPs can fight against the Tories’ devastating attack on important climate targets.”

Updated

The shadow environment secretary, Steve Reed, predicted Rishi Sunak’s announcement on weakening environmental pledges would “blow up in his face”.

“What the prime minister just announced today was selling out the biggest economic opportunity of the 21st century and that is for Britain to lead the world in the transition to a new green economy,” Reed told Sky News.

“And in doing that, he is undermining business confidence and deterring the business investment that will fund the well-paid jobs of the future that we could have had.”

But former environment secretary George Eustice has welcomed Sunak’s decision to delay some net-zero targets.

He told Times Radio: “I actually think he’s he’s making a difficult argument, but I think he is right.

“And the reason for that is if we’re serious about hitting net zero, it is important that we get the right path, because if you lock down prematurely to the wrong types of technologies or indeed locked down prematurely to the wrong equipment, that could become outdated quite quickly, then you actually jeopardize getting to net zero, not make it easier.

“So I think he’s right that we should make the space for there to be the technological advances that we need to get it right.”

Updated

The Green party co-leader Carla Denyer said: “This is a desperate and dangerous u-turn from the prime minister which will throw the UK economy, the wellbeing of its citizens and the future of our environment out the window in a misguided attempt to create divisions for political gain.

“More than anything this speech sounded like an admission of the government’s failure to implement climate policy in a way that brings people with them while showing the benefits of a more sustainable future.”

Updated

Scotland’s first minister, Humza Yousaf, has said it would be “unforgivable” for the UK to row back on its climate commitments, accusing Rishi Sunak of “pandering to short-term populism”.

Yousaf was speaking from New York, where he has been attending events as part of Climate Week.

He said his own government’s net zero target of 2045 could be put in jeopardy by a major shift in UK policy.

“What they are doing is sending a signal that is outside the global consensus that we have got to take more action on climate change.”

Earlier in the week, the Scottish government fended off criticism that Yousaf had travelled more than 3,000 miles by air to attend the events.

Updated

From Times Radio’s Kate McCann on Labour’s green pledges.

Al Gore has condemned Sunak’s announcement on CNN.

We want to speak to people in the UK who are looking to buy a car in the near future. What is your reaction to Sunak’s speech?

We’d like to know whether the delay is likely to affect your choice. Were you considering opting for an electric vehicle and are less sure now? If so, why? Or will it not affect your choice either way?

If you plan to buy a petrol or diesel car, what incentives would be needed to persuade you to opt for an electric vehicle?

If you’re looking to buy a car in the UK, share your reaction to the prime minister’s announcement.

Please share your story if you are 18 or over, anonymously if you wish. For more information please see our terms of service and privacy policy.

Responding to the PM’s press conference where he watered down key clean energy pledges, the Liberal Democrat leader, Ed Davey, said: “This is not leadership from Rishi Sunak, this is putting the UK at the back of the queue as the rest of the world races to embrace the industries of tomorrow.

“The prime minister’s legacy will be the hobbling of our country’s future economy as he ran scared from the right wing of his own party. It is selfish and it epitomises his weakness.

“At the very time we need to stand up and lead, Sunak rolled over.”

Updated

An exclusive poll conducted by FindOutNow for Channel 4 News has revealed more than 40% of people would be less likely to vote Conservative in the next general election if the government does not stick to its commitments on climate change.

The poll of more than 2,000 people asked voters: if the government does not stick to commitments it has already made to climate change, would you be more or less likely to vote for them at a general election?

12.3% of voters said they would be more likely to vote Conservative.

But 40.7% of people asked said they would be less likely to vote Tory.

Of those who voted Conservative at the last election, 26.8% said they would be more likely to vote for them again

But 21.4% said they were less inclined to vote for Rishi Sunak’s party.

Updated

Liz Truss, the former prime minister, has welcomed her successor’s watering down of green policies and urged him to go further in other areas such as abolishing the ban on fracking – as Labour released attack ads seeking to portray him as being in her pocket.

Allies of the former prime minister, who quit after just 45 days in the role and was replaced by the man she had beaten in a leadership election, have been seeking to suggest that his embrace of a range of policies vindicates her position.

She said in a statement released after his speech: “I welcome the delay on banning the sale of new petrol and diesel cars as well as the delay on the ban on oil and gas boilers. This is particularly important for rural areas.

“I now urge the government to abolish the windfall tax on oil and gas and lift the fracking ban, which would reduce people’s energy bills and make the UK more competitive.”

Borrowing from a 2015 Tory advert that depicts Ed Miliband in the pocket of the former Scottish National party leader Alex Salmond, Labour used the opportunity of Sunak’s speech to release its own version, in which a tiny image of the prime minister was placed in the pocket of his No 10 predecessor.

Updated

Reaction from my colleague Pippa Crerar.

Lady Parminter, chair of the House of Lords environment and climate change committee, has criticised Sunak’s speech.

Parminter said: “I am dismayed by today’s announcement and will be writing to the prime minister, on behalf of the committee, outlining our concerns and seeking clarification on his roadmap to net zero.

“The overwhelming evidence we have received so far in our current electric vehicles (EVs) inquiry is that both industry and the public need policy certainty, consistency, and clear leadership on the journey to net zero. We had that same message from stakeholders consistently in our previous inquiries into the boiler upgrade scheme and into behaviour change needed to meet carbon reduction goals.

“The target to end the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2030 was welcomed by all the industry we took evidence from. It is they who are crucial in providing the low-carbon products and services we need to get to net zero.

“Given a third of all emission reductions required by 2035 need to come from individuals and households adopting new technologies, choosing low-carbon products or services and reducing carbon-intensive consumption it is hard to see how our legally-binding carbon targets will now be met.”

Updated

Labour says Sunak's net zero speech 'act of weakness from desperate, directionless PM'

Ed Miliband, the shadow climate and net zero secretary, has described Rishi Sunak’s speech as “an act of weakness”. In a statement he said:

Today is an act of weakness from a desperate, directionless prime minister, dancing to the tune of a small minority of his party. Liz Truss crashed the economy and Rishi Sunak is trashing our economic future.

Having delivered the worst cost of living crisis in generations, the prime minister today loads more costs onto the British people. Delaying the phase out of petrol and diesel cars will add billions in costs to families and damage investor confidence in the UK, as we have seen from the furious business reaction today.

This is a prime minister who simply doesn’t understand and cannot grasp for Britain the opportunities for jobs and our economy of driving forward with action on clean energy.

After today, it is clearer than ever that only Labour can create jobs, lower bills, deliver energy security for Britain, and tackle the climate crisis.

That is all from me for today.

My colleague Nadeem Badshah is now taking over.

Sunak's speech and Q&A - snap verdict

That was a relatively short speech, and given the reaction it provoked before it was even delivered, it can’t be described as a success. But it was more interesting than expected, and not unconvincing throughout.

On the substance, it was quite a mix. Sunak was probably at his most persuasive talking about boiler costs (he is a Yorkshire MP, and probably knows more people with off-grid oil boilers than most of us). But he failed to explain why keeping the ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars from 2030 is going to impose onerous costs on consumers, and he tried to take credit for banning a whole raft of proposals (see 4.50pm) that weren’t government policy anyway. That was classic straw man stuff, which is always the sign of a weak argument.

Sunak argued that the UK could afford to slow down because it is doing well on net zero, and he was at his most angry/passionate when he claimed that the overall goals weren’t being watered down (see 5.14pm) – even though the policies in place to achieve that are being watered down. There is some evidence to back what Sunak says. His argument seems to be: “We’re ahead in the race, so we can afford to take a breather.” But when the world as a whole is failing on net zero, according to the scientists, benchmarking the UK against other countries and declaring it’s OK to slow down seems complacent.

Surprisingly, Sunak also chose to wrap the net zero announcements in a speech about how he is now a “change politician”, determined to overhaul the way the UK does its politics. This was unconvincing for two reasons. First, if he wanted to run as a change candidate, he should have done it last summer; he’s now left it too late. And, second, if he really believes “our destiny can be our own choosing but only if we change the way our politics works”, he should be giving an entire speech on the subject, not just using this guff to pad out the intro to a U-turn announcement.

Sunak also kept stressing that he was taking difficult decisions for the long term. Politicians should take difficult decisions for the long term, and most of them give a version of this speech at some point. But to do that on a day when he was announcing measures No 10 must assume will be popular with his target audience (Tory supporters and the Sun – Sunak even referenced the paper’s position on net zero in the Q&A) just came across as muddled messaging.

Rishi Sunak delivering his net zero speech.
Rishi Sunak delivering his net zero speech. Photograph: Chris J Ratcliffe/EPA

Updated

Sunak ends by saying, again, that he is acting for the long term.

Sunak says net zero targets are not being watered down 'in any way, shape or form'

Q: [From Pippa Crerar from the Guardian] What else will you have to change to ensure you still meet your climate targets? And you say your daughters are the climate experts in your house. What will they make of this?

Sunak says he is confident that the government can deliver on its commitments. It has constantly over-developed.

He says it is wrong, “in any way, shape or form”, to say he is watering down his targets.

He says the government remains committed to the 2050 target, and the target for 2030 from the Paris Cop.

He says the UK is ahead of the EU, Australia, America and Japan in cutting emissions.

Updated

Q: [From Harry Cole from the Sun] Is this the start of some politcal Bazball, to turn your fortunes round? And can you guarantee that HS2 will go ahead?

Sunak says this is not about politics. It is about doing the right thing for the country.

He wants to bring clarity and transparency to this debate. This approach is the right one, he says.

Q: And HS2?

Sunak says he is not going to speculate on other matters today.

But he says his net zero decisions reflect what the Sun has been campaigning on for some time.

Q: [From Jason Groves from the Daily Mail] Can you do this without changing the law? And there is Tory opposition to it? Can you win those votes?

Sunak says the government remains completely, 100% committed to all its targets – its international ones and national ones.

He is confident that the government will do this. He says he has been through the figures with Claire Coutinho, the new energy secretary.

Updated

Q: [From Steven Swinford the Times] Under government policy, gas boilers are being phased out from 2035 anyway. So what is different about your policy?

Sunak says a range of things were being proposed. From 2025, some homeowners were being forced to massively upgrade their energy efficiency. That has been stopped. And from 2026, people off grid were going to have to change their boilers. That is being scrapped too.

Updated

Q: [From GB News] How much will these changes change? And why not put net zero to a referendum?

Sunak says forcing someone off the gas grid to install a heat pump, not a boiler, might cost more than £20,000, including the cost of new insulation needed if a heat pump was being installed.

On a referendum, he says: “We’ve had enough referendums, quite frankly.”

But he says that he wants consent for these plans. That is why he wants a debate.

He says he believes in net zero. But he thinks politicians have to take the country with them.

Robert Peston from ITV goes next.

Q: You promised stability when you became PM. By changing these car targets, don’t you create instability?

Sunak says in other countries, when people have tried to go too fast, they have had to change their mind.

He says 2035 is the same target for EVs as in many other places. That is “the global, mainstream target”, he says. It is hard to see how having that as the target will put the UK at a disadvantage.

He says the government is doubling down on what industry wants, which is grid infrastructure. That is what business leaders ask for. The reforms announced today (see 4.52pm) will make a transformative difference, he says.

Sunak is now taking questions.

Chris Mason from the BBC asks if he is doing this because he is worried about losing the election.

Sunak says he has been thinking about this for a long time. He started considering the issue when he was chancellor, he says.

He says his critics should explain why they are willing to impose costs on families – £10,000, £15,000 – when those costs aren’t necessary.

Sunak is winding up now, and he finishes with another passage about change.

It’s bigger than any single policy or issue. We’re going to change the way our politics works. We’re going to make different decisions. We won’t take the easy way out. There will be resistance. We will meet it because I am determined to change our country and build a better future for our children. Nothing less is acceptable.

Sunak says the government is taking measures to promote green energy.

But it needs to invest more in the energy grid, he says.

He says the government will soon publish “comprehensive new reforms to energy infrastructure”.

Updated

Sunak lists four 'worrying' net zero plans he says he's scrapped

Sunak identifies other green rules that he says he intends to scrap, or abandon.

The debate about how we get to net zero has thrown up a range of worrying proposals. And today I want to confirm that under this government they will never happen.

The proposal for government to interfere in how many passengers you can have in your car – I’ve scrapped it.

The proposal that we should force you to have seven different bins in your home – I’ve scrapped it.

The proposal to make you change your diet and harm British farmers by taxing meat, or to create new taxes to discourage flying or going on holiday. I’ve scrapped those too.

And nor will we ban new oil and gas in the North Sea, which would simply leave us reliant on expensive imported energy from foreign dictators like Putin.

Updated

Sunak says grants for people under the boiler upgrade scheme will be increased by 50%, going up to £7,500. This will make the scheme one of the most generous of its kind, he says.

Sunak says government to delay point at which people have to replace gas boilers with heat pumps

Sunak says the government will delay the compulsory transition to heat pumps.

I’m announcing today that we will give people far more time to make the necessary transition to heat pumps.

We will never force anyone to rip out their existing boiler and replace it with a heat pump. You’ll only ever have to make the switch When you’re replacing your boiler anyway – and even then, not until 2035.

Sunak says ban on sale of new petrol and diesel cars will come into force in 2035, not 2030

Sunak is now giving details.

First, electric vehicles.

He says by 2030 he expects “the vast majority” of cars sold will be electric.

That is because they are getting cheaper, and people are buying more.

But he says he thinks people should make that decision – not the government.

Today he is saying he will ease the transition to EVs. People will still by able to buy petrol and diesel vehicles until 2035.

He says other countries, such as Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Australia, Canada, and Sweden are doing this, as well as some US states.

Updated

Sunak says policies need overhaul because UK does not have 'fairest credible path' to net zero in 2050

Sunak says we need “sensible green leadership”, requiring “a wholly new kind of politics”.

So, how do we do that?

First, we need to change the debate.

At the moment we are stuck between people who want to abandon net zero, and people who want to go even further.

Both extremes are wrong, and fail to reflect the reality of the situation.

The question is: “Do we have the fairest credible path to reach net zero by 2050 in a way that brings people with us?”

Sunak says he has looked at the policies, and concluded we don’t.

Updated

Sunak says UK needs 'properly informed national debate' on net zero

Back to the speech. Sunak says people want to do the right thing on climate change.

But it cannot be right for the government to ask people to make so many changes “without a properly informed national debate”.

And the UK can do this because it has already made so much progress, he says.

Updated

This is not just a net zero speech. This is a full-on reset speech, presenting Rishi Sunak as a change candidate, not a continuity candidate.

The problem is – he’s left it a bit late. The chance for the change speech was when he took office.

Updated

Sunak says the choice is: do we want to change our country, or carry on as we are?

He will set out examples in the coming months.

But today he is going to talk about how we change our country – on the climate change issue.

Updated

Sunak says the government has made progress. But that is not enough if we are on a path which people do not like.

He is here to tell you “that we do not have to be powerless”, he says.

But only if we change, he says.

He says it is necessary to put long-term needs first.

Updated

Sunak says UK has 'stumbled into consensus' about future 'no one seems to be happy with'

Rishi Sunak is speaking now. People are frustrated with politics, he says.

And he knows people dislike Westminster short-termism.

He says he has been PM for almost a year.

And he has concluded that decisions that can deliver real change can be so caveated that we have “stumbled into a consensus about the future of our country that no one seems to be happy with”.

Updated

'Sensible, pragmatic changes' - some Tory MPs say Sunak right to revise net zero targets

Here are some of the Conservative MPs who have tweeted in favour of delaying net zero targets.

From Karl McCartney

As a realist & member of the Transport Select Committee, I have been calling for a long time on the Government to take the common sense decision to delay the planned ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars. Just as countries like France & Germany have. I am pleased

… that the Govt has seen the light. Costs to normal drivers will be high, electric charging infrastructure is not available & technology is too reliant on China. People complaining are Central London eco-zealots who don’t live in real world & are rich enough to be unaffected.2/2

From Mark Jenkinson

Sensible, pragmatic changes to timelines that haven’t yet been legislated for.

A majority are in favour of net zero as a target, but only the mad ones want us to make ourselves colder and poorer on the way.

Everything is reported through the lens of absolute zero, not net zero.

From Miriam Cates

My 1st car cost £600. I couldn’t have got to work without it. Young people can’t afford EVs. With petrol ban approaching, supply of 2nd hand combustion cars is falling & demand rising, pricing the young out of car ownership. It’s right to delay the ban

From Ben Bradley

We must have more pragmatic approach to ‘green’. In truth though Whitehall may say ‘get a new car, get a new boiler etc’ most people just can’t. Halting new petrol car sales 5y earlier than everywhere else would kill UK car manufacturing. Common sense has to win! Rishi is right.

From Brendan Clarke-Smith

Keeping the 2050 ambition but making these sensible changes about how we get there should be applauded.

This shows the PM is listening to what MPs and the public are both saying, not small but vocal groups with special interests. It doesn’t change our commitment to being a 1/2

world leader in reducing our emissions and moving to renewable sources, but it does address the concerns of those who think this can be done in a more effective and fair way that can be embraced by everyone 2/2

From James Sunderland

Synthetic fuels need a mention. Used extensively in motorsport, costs are falling fast, and they allow petrol & diesel engines to run as normal, but with zero emissions. The PM’s pragmatic easing of eco zealotry is another UK opportunity, not a threat!

Rishi Sunak due to deliver his speech on changing net zero targets shortly

Rishi Sunak is due to deliver his speech at 4.30pm. My colleague Pippa Crerar is in Downing Street with other journalists waiting for him to arrive, and she says the slogan on his lectern is: “Long-term decisions for a brighter future.”

Sunak claimed he was putting “the long-term interests of our country before the short-term political needs of the moment” in the statement he issued last night. (See 9.46am.) All his critics, and probably most people at Westminster who could claim to be disinterested observers, think that he is doing the opposite.

Updated

Speaker condemns Sunak for announcing net zero policy changes less than 24 hours after Commons started recess

In the House of Lords Lord Callanan, an energy minister, is responding to a private notice question (the Lords equivalent of a Commons urgent question) on the net zero targets. He has been telling peers that the government remains committed to net zero, and that they should wait for the PM’s speech, which is due at 4.30pm.

Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons speaker, is furious that Sunak is not making his announcement in parliament. He can’t, because the Commons started its party conference recess at 6.52pm last night – even though the Liberal Democrat conference does not start until this weekend (they have just 15 MPs), and the Conservative one does not start until the following weekend.

In a statement Hoyle says:

If he had the power, the speaker would recall the house immediately – and he is writing to the prime minister today to express that view in the strongest of terms.

This is a major policy shift, and it should have been announced when the house was sitting. Members with very different views on this issue have expressed their disquiet on the way this has been handled, especially as the Commons rose early last night, so there was plenty of time for this statement to be made.

Instead, the unelected House of Lords will have the opportunity to scrutinise this change in direction this afternoon, when it hears the government’s response to a private notice question on this issue.

This is not the way to do business. Ministers are answerable to MPs – we do not have a presidential system here.

The House of Commons is where laws are made, national debates are had – and where statements should be made.

Commons speakers regularly complain about ministers sidelining parliament, but it is hard to recall any of them expressing their anger in a press release quite like this.

Updated

Simon Evans, the deputy editor of the CarbonBrief website, says that if Rishi Sunak waters down net zero targets as reportedly planned, he will put the legally binding net zero targets in jeopardy.

UK govt climate policy U-turns put the country’s legally binding targets in jeopardy

The rollbacks are set to be announced shortly by PM Rishi Sunak

Emissions savings at risk cld put UK targets out of reach, inc Paris pledge & 6th carbon budget

Updated

Zac Goldsmith, who resigned as a minister in June because he thought Rishi Sunak was committed to the enviroment, issued a statement last night saying Sunak’s reported U-turn on net zero was “a moment of shame” for the UK.

Today he is calling for an early election.

I have had 00s of messages from Cons friends in govt, Parliament & around the world telling me this move by the PM vindicates my decision to noisily resign. I didn’t want vindication. I hoped it would add pressure on govt to prove me & others wrong. We need an election. Now.

It has been reported that Rishi Sunak will delay the introduction of new energy efficiency regulations for rented homes in his speech this afternoon. If he does, tenants will pay higher fuel bills, according to Stuart Fairlie from Elmhurst Energy, which trains the assessors who issue energy performance certificates (EPCs) to landlords. Fairlie says:

England and Wales have almost 2 million people in fuel poverty in rented homes and they will suffer if energy efficiency targets are ditched. Put simply, EPC band D-G homes can cost almost three times as much in fuel bills for a tenant than those in band C. If there is no impetus to upgrade to a C, then thousands of tenants pay more.

Updated

If Rishi Sunak does announce that he is delaying the introduction of the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 until 2035, Labour is likely to say it would reinstate the 2030 deadline, Arj Singh and David Parsley report in the i. This fits with what shadow cabinet minsters have been saying. (See 1.48pm.)

Updated

'Hugely retrograde step' – car industry alarmed at reports Sunak will delay introduction of ban on petrol cars

Here is some more reaction from the car industry to news that Rishi Sunak might delay the introduction of the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars scheduled for 2030.

A spokesperson for Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) said:

JLR is investing £15bn over the next five years to electrify our luxury brands, which is key to JLR reaching net zero carbon emissions across our supply chain, products and operations by 2039.

Our plans are on track and we welcome certainty around legislation for the end of sale of petrol and diesel-powered cars.

A spokesperson for BMW, which owns the Mini brand, said:

Mini has already announced that it will become a purely electric brand from 2030 globally and this will not change.

The former Aston Martin boss Andy Palmer told Radio 4’s World At One:

The industry is already determined that we’re going to have electric cars.

And countries like the US are protecting their industry, whereas countries like China are projecting their industry. And the real risk here is that by not having an aggressive strategy, we’re just opening the door to basically Chinese sales.

Ian Plummer, the commercial director at online vehicle marketplace Auto Trader, said:

Pushing back the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel sales by five years is a hugely retrograde step which puts politics ahead of net zero goals.

This U-turn will cause a huge headache for manufacturers, who are crying out for clarity and consistency, and it is hardly going to encourage the vast majority of drivers who are yet to buy an electric car to make the switch.

And Steve Gooding, director of motoring research at the charity RAC Foundation, said:

With the car industry confident about its ability to make the switch away from pure petrol and diesel engines by 2030 whilst still meeting the appetite of the UK market for new cars, it is hard to see why anyone in No 10 thinks now is a good moment to row back.

Updated

E.ON boss hits out at Sunak’s plan to row back on net zero policies

Chris Norbury, the chief executive of E.ON UK, one of Britain’s largest energy suppliers, has criticised the government’s plan to row back on net zero policies, including the planned phase-out of gas boilers, as a “misstep on many levels”. Joanna Partridge has the story.

Boris Johnson urges Sunak to stick with existing net zero targets, saying business 'must have certainty'

Boris Johnson has issued a statement saying Rishi Sunak should not water down net zero targets. Echoing the arguments made by opposition parties (see 1.25pm and 1.48pm), he says the targets in place when he was PM will save consumers money, not cost them more. He also says businesses “must have certainty” if they are investing in green energy projects.

He says:

Business must have certainty about our net zero commitments.

This country leads on tackling climate change and in creating new green technology. The green industrial revolution is already generating huge numbers of high quality jobs and helping to drive growth and level up our country.

Business and industry – such as motor manufacturing – are rightly making vast investments in these new technologies.

It is those investments that will produce a low-carbon future – at lower costs for British families.

It is crucial that we give those businesses confidence that government is still committed to net zero and can see the way ahead.

We cannot afford to falter now or in any way lose our ambition for this country.

Updated

Former Climate Change Committee chair suggests Sunak U-turn could be challenged in court

In his tweet this morning Ed Miliband, the shadow climate and net zero secrerary, quoted the Climate Change Committee as saying that delaying the ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars past 2030 could cost consumers money. (See 1.48pm.) Lord Deben (John Gummer) was chair of the CCC until recently, and on Radio 4’s the World at One he said that if the government were to do this, it would be another example of the “stupidity” shown by the government over offshore wind. He told the programme:

The climate change committee has shown quite clearly that the dates which we’ve got – for example, for bringing in electric motor cars – will actually save people money. The fact that they’ve haven’t been able to extend offshore wind because of government stupidity will increase the cost of people’s energy. The battle against climate change is part of the battle against the cost of living crisis. And to do the things that [Sunak is reportedly considering] are going to be extremely damaging.

Deben suggested that the government could face legal challenge in the courts if it abandoned the policies needed to achieve net zero by 2050. He said:

[The targets Sunak is reportedly planning to change] are necessary to reach net zero by 2050, which is a statutory requirement, so the government will be in the courts.

The government is bound by it. It is a parliamentary commitment, voted on by parliament and therefore the government can be taken to court … to show it is on track to meet those commitments.

Deben also implied Sunak was repeating a mistake made by David Cameron. He said:

This is entirely unacceptable, and it is a production of people who don’t remember that the last time the Conservative government did this [it] cost the nation and ordinary people very large sums of money, because if we had not gone back because of the “green crap”, we would have had much cheaper electricity because we would have moved faster towards renewables.

Updated

Labour says it would back car industry 'all the way' after manufacturers criticise talk of abandoning 2030 target

Last night, when news broke that Rishi Sunak was planning to water down net zero targets, Labour’s initial response was non-committal. It denouncing the move as chaotic, but without saying it would definitely reverse anything Sunak announced.

This morning it has been a bit more specific, implying that it is firmly committed to the 2030 target for banning the sale of new petrol and diesel cars.

This is from Louise Haigh, the shadow transport secretary.

The threat to investment in our automotive industry is the chaos created by the Tories at a time when the sector is crying out for certainty.

The Conservatives might be happy to kick the legs out from underneath the car industry, but Labour would back the sector all the way.

And this is from Ed Miliband, the shadow climate and net zero secretary.

If the government delays the petrol and diesel phase-out date to 2035 it will whack UP costs on British families. And here is the evidence from the Government’s own advisors @theCCCuk 👇

The CCC is the Climate Change Committee.

Updated

Opposition parties denounce Sunak's net zero U-turn

Labour says the reported Rishi Sunak U-turn on net zero is “chaotic”. (See 10.02pm.) This is what other opposition parties are saying about the government’s move.

Stephen Flynn, the SNP leader at Westminster, said the move was putting Scotland’s economic future at risk.

This reckless plan from the Tories puts at risk Scotland’s economic future – we are a renewable energy powerhouse and there is a global energy race to net zero. If the UK takes us out of that race the damage will be catastrophic.

All the evidence tells us that we can protect and create jobs in Scotland by ensuring that we get the energy transition right, but the Tories now don’t even seem to want to have a transition, just a cliff edge.

Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, said Sunak was trashing the economy.

The Conservatives have already trashed the economy of today. Now Rishi Sunak seems intent on trashing the economy of the future as well.

The British people are trying to do the right things for our planet, even as they are struggling to make ends meet. But they have been let down over and over again by this out-of-touch Conservative government.

This latest Conservative chaos is putting hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk across the UK, and leaving families and pensioners paying sky-high energy bills.

Carla Denyer, co-leader of the Green party, says Sunak’s move will lead to higher bills for consumers.

This is nothing short of economic and environmental vandalism that will mean higher energy bills, fewer jobs and lost investment all while weakening the UK’s climate action even further.

Households are already paying way more than they should be doing to heat their homes because of the last time the Conservatives decided to ‘cut the green crap’ , while businesses are crying out for more certainty from the government over the green transition which so clearly needs to happen.

And Liz Saville Roberts, the Plaid Cymru leader at Westminster, said Sunak was betraying future generations.

Rishi Sunak’s bonfire of green policies would be a shameful betrayal of future generations.

Not only is it environmentally absurd, but there is also no economic case for increasing our reliance on fossil fuels, with industry calling out for policy consistency from government.

This decision will disproportionately harm the poorest, as energy efficiency regulations on homes, urgently needed in one of Europe’s least efficient housing markets, are set to be scrapped. The result: higher bills, worsened health, and more emissions.

Updated

According to Kate Ferguson from the Sun on Sunday, Kemi Badenoch, the business and trade secretary, used a message to Tory MPs in a private WhatsApp group to argue that car industry protests about what the PM is planning should not necessarily be taken at face value.

Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch in the Tory WhatsApp group this morning.

She hits back at Tory MPs criticising the Net Zero changes

Her post has been liked by a fair few Tory MPs

Lord Stern, the economist who conducted a major review of the economics of climate change for the last Labour government, has told the BBC that what Rishi Sunak seems to be planning is “the opposite of good economics”, Faisal Islam reports.

NEW Nick Stern on Govt net zero row back:
“It is the opposite of good economics. “Chopping and changing will raise serious questions with businesses who see a government who cannot be trusted to follow through on policy commitments, be they climate or otherwise.”

Fraser Nelson, the Spectator editor who has good links with No 10, says Rishi Sunak’s move can be seen as a shift towards a “bright green” agenda, not a “dark green” one.

Big move today. Sunak is adopting a “Bright Green” agenda focusing on tech and green progress - edging away from “dark green” alarmism with its unrealistic targets

It’s not about Uxbridge but joining a European trend towards more pragmatic green policies

Labour is using its X/Twitter account to imply that Rishi Sunak has somehow been bounced into his net zero U-turn by Liz Truss. (See 10.40am.)

Polling suggests Sunak's net zero measures may be popular with Tory supporters, but not voters overall

The Conservative party is split on whether U-turning on some of its key climate commitments will be popular or not. Some have described it as a “return to common sense”, but many including the backbench MP Simon Clarke have warned it will put off voters in the areas they most need them.

A new poll of 4,000 voters by Public First for the centre-right thinktank Onward suggests Clarke might have a point.

The poll of 4,000 voters showed 49% of voters support the target of hitting net zero by 2050 by a margin of 49% to 20%.

Some 35% of respondents said they supported the plan to phase out gas boilers by 2035, compared with 27% who opposed it.

And 38% supported ending the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030, with only 31% opposed.

But Sunak will take some comfort in figures showing some of the individual policies he intends to roll back are unpopular among those who voted for the Tories in 2019.

Some 40% of Conservative voters oppose the gas boiler target, while only 28% support it. And 40% also oppose the vehicle policy, while 34% support it.

Updated

Lewis Goodall from the News Agents podcast says he has seen a copy of the agenda for today’s conference-call cabinet meeting.

NEW: I’ve seen the agenda for today’s Cabinet

RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDE

-“Delay the off-gas-grid fossil fuel ban until 2035 and relax the requirement from 100% to 80% of households”
-“Relax the gas boiler phase-out target in 2035”
-“no new energy efficiency regulations on homes”

-“Increase the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant by 50% to £7500”
-“Announce the the requirement for all vehicles to have significant zero emission capability in the period 2030-35 is to be removed”
Bonfire of green measures…

IN ADDITION agenda says cabinet will commit to

-“No edit change measures to reduce carbon emissions”
-“Announce that households will not be required to have 7 bins to meet recycling targets”
-Commit to no new taxes on passengers to discourage flying.

Voters may think Sunak watering down net zero target because he's 'too incompetent to meet it', says Tory policy expert

And here is a thread on X/Twitter from Rachel Wolf. Like Ian Mulheirn (see 12.19pm), she is a serious figure in the policy world, but unlike him she is on the right, not the left. (She co-wrote the 2019 Tory manifesto.).

Wolf, who now works for Public First, a consultancy, also thinks it could be a mistake to assume that a net zero U-turn would appeal to voters. And she says a lot of voters may think Sunak is watering down his targets because the government is too incompetent to meet them.

My assumption is that the govt is watering down their net zero commitments because they want to make it harder for Labour to demonstrate economic credibility in the election campaign. It will be to generate cost and tax stories. BUT (1/4)

There’s a huge cost to this outside specifics on support for net zero (which leavers share!) - namely it is yet another thing the Tories have abandoned. Outside schools, and maybe employment, what consistent good story could you tell about about the Conservatives? (2/4)

And no, it’s not credible to repeat 2019 and appear like an entirely new administration at this point. Nor can you credibly now sound like you care about net zero. Envt was just about the only piece of domestic progress of the last few years and now you can’t talk about it. (3/4)

And from our own research, lots of the public will assume the reason the target has been watered down is because the government is too incompetent to meet it. (4/4)

Ian Mulheirn, an economist at the Resolution Foundation, posted a thread on X/Twitter last night looking at whether the Tories might benefit from net zero scepticism, as they did from Brexit in 2019. It starts here.

And here is is conclusion.

So as we foretold back then, a move like this was always a risk. But the identities probably aren’t strong enough for it to work electorally.

Big risk of alienating both pro-business Tories and rural conservatives without any ‘red wall’ payoff?

It could be an awkward cabinet meeting for Michael Gove, the levelling up secretary. In July, in the days after the Uxbridge and South Ruislip byelection, when No 10 was starting to wobble on net zero policies, Gove gave an interview declaring that the government’s commitment to 2030 as the date when the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars would come into force was immovable.

Updated

No 10 confirms that Sunak to deliver his speech on anticipated net zero policies U-turn this afternoon

No 10 has now confirmed that Rishi Sunak will deliver a speech on the changes to his net zero policies in Downing Street this afternoon. Unless the reporting has all been 100% wrong, and no one from government has been minded to correct it, it is going to amount to one of the biggest U-turns of his premiership.

Sunak will also take questions from journalists. The speech is due around 4.30pm, although that could change.

Pippa Crerar says there was panic in Downing Street when the story leaked, and Sunak wants to take control of the agenda again.

Watering down net zero targets won't save consumers money for years, says thinktank

Rishi Sunak seems to have begun rethinking his net zero policies in the light of the Uxbridge and South Ruislip byelection, which showed the Tories benefiting electorally from their opposition to a green measure that was going to increase costs for some voters. Most drivers in the constituency won’t be affected by the rollout of Ulez (the ultra-low emission zone) to Uxbridge, but a small number will be, and with the byelection taking place shortly before the rollout came into force, the Conservative party weaponised the issue successfully.

But, as the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit thinktank points out, the net zero measures that Sunak reportedly wants to ditch or delay aren’t going to cost consumers money any time soon anyway. Peter Chalkley, the ECIU’s director, says:

The fact is the gas boiler and petrol car phase-out aren’t set to have any impact on those struggling with bills for at least a decade. The boiler phase-out would start in 2035 but only for those whose boiler breaks. The vast majority, 80%, of drivers buy second-hand, and second-hand petrol cars would be on the market for literally decades to come. Delaying this policy will push up the cost of motoring as cheaper second-hand EVs [electric vehicles] that are much cheaper to run than petrol cars will be less available.

The one measure that would have brought down bills is the landlord energy efficiency rules [which Sunak reportedly wants to delay, so that landlords do not have to spend extra money on insulation]. Rented accommodation is some of the worst quality and so most costly to heat, with tenants having no power to insulate themselves. We’ve had the lowest rates of home insulation for years during a gas crisis thanks to his flatlining programmes.

The off gas grid boiler phase-out has been watered down already in the energy bill and would only affect 0.2% of homes a year from 2026 anyway. These measures will add to the cost of living for those struggling, not make things easier.

Updated

Climate scientists have expressed dismay at reports that Rishi Sunak is to row back on net zero commitments, arguing that this would be harmful not just environmentally, but economically too.

Prof Myles Allen, professor of geosystem sciences at Oxford University, said:

We haven’t heard the actual speech yet, but we all have to hope the PM is true to his word that he is looking for better ways to deliver net zero, not just slower ways. As we have found time and again in Britain, dithering costs money. The USA is seeing other countries’ faltering as an opportunity to get ahead. It will be sad indeed if we just see it as an opportunity to join the laggards.

There were strong words from Prof Dave Reay, executive director of the Edinburgh Climate Change Institute at Edinburgh University. He said:

It’s not pragmatic, it’s pathetic. This rolling back on emissions cuts for short-term political gain will undermine the transition to net zero and with it the future opportunities, prosperity and safety of the entire country.

And Prof Ed Hawkins, professor of climate science at Reading University, reminds us that reducing net zero ambitions will have devastating – and costly – consequences due to the natural disasters burning fossil fuels causes. He explained:

Burning fossil fuels produces carbon dioxide which causes global warming which amplifies the consequences of extreme weather events, as we have so clearly seen this summer. Climate change will continue until we reach net zero globally, and we will then have to suffer the consequences of that warmer world for decades or more. It also matters how we reach net zero, not just when – delaying action means more emissions which means more severe consequences.

Updated

Sunak to hold emergency cabinet meeting to discuss new net zero plan

Rishi Sunak is holding a cabinet meeting today via conference call to discuss his new net zero policies, Kitty Donaldson from Bloomberg reports.

This was not scheduled. There was a normal cabinet meeting only yesterday.

The Conservative party used to pride itself on being the party of business. That has not been the case since Brexit and Boris Johnson, but the news that Rishi Sunak is about to water down net zero targets will do fresh damage to the party’s standing with corporate UK.

We have already highlighted the reaction from car manufacturers. (See 9.52am.) Here is some wider business reaction that landed in my inbox this morning.

This is from Alfonso Martinez, managing director of ALD LeasePlan, a vehicle leasing company.

We urge the government to stay on track with its 2030 target and maintain the UK’s position as a leader in zero-emission technologies. Now more than ever, we need to demonstrate consistency and commitment to achieving environmental and sustainability goals. Pushing back timelines could send a confusing message to both businesses and consumers and hinder the ongoing efforts to decarbonise the mobility sector.

This is from Laurence Wainwright, a lecturer at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at the University of Oxford.

It is extremely disappointing, and quite bewildering, to see that the UK government wants to shift from climate leader to a chop-and-change laggard. The home secretary this morning justified the ambition scale back on the basis that “We’re not going to save the planet by bankrupting the British people.” This argument however does not stack up with the evidence. Oxford Smith School modelling shows that the faster we transition to net-zero, and hit the necessary interim goals along the way, the more cost-effective it will be.

This is from Tara Clee, an ESG (environmental, social and governance) analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, a fund management company.

While pushing the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 to 2035 might sound minor to some, this signalling from the government undermines businesses at the forefront of the net zero transition. The UK has been a trailblazer for net zero – encouraging innovation and investment to benefit the UK economy.

Car manufacturers Ford and BMW for example, have been investing in electric vehicle production to meet the challenge of full electrification by 2030. This summer, Ford ended the production of its highly successful Ford Fiesta in a move towards carbon neutrality. BMW Mini on the other hand has just announced a huge investment in an electric Mini factory in Oxford. These high-profile investments create jobs alongside long term shareholder returns.

And it’s not just the automotive industry impacted by the expected policy changes, the housing and energy industries now have to grapple with meeting prior climate commitments whilst remaining commercially viable. Many energy companies have committed to shift to cleaner energy sources, such as OVO Group who has pledged to be net zero by 2035. Large listed energy firms facing pressure from shareholders to invest more in renewables research and development now have another excuse to kick the can down the road.

More broadly, global asset managers, wards of trillions of pounds of retail and institutional investors’ savings, have committed to increasingly investing a portion of their assets in climate solutions and announced strict engagement frameworks to support businesses across all sectors to reach 2030 interim net zero targets. The market has been directing capital to the net zero transition and has been working in good faith against the government’s climate ambitions. These changes send a message that nothing is set in stone, and committing in earnest to a movable goalpost could be a major business risk.

Braverman claims Meta's encrypted messaging plan will create 'safe havens' for paedophiles

Suella Braverman, the home secretary, has said Meta’s planned rollout of end-to-end encryption will create “safe havens” for paedophiles online unless robust safety measures are introduced, PA Media reports.

Braverman accused the company, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, of failing to provide assurances that underage users will be protected from sexual predators. Along with security minister Tom Tugendhat and safeguarding minister Sarah Dines, she has called on the firm to “work with us” and enable police officers to access data to build investigations where appropriate, PA says.

In an interview with LBC this morning, Braverman said:

Here in our country we arrest about 800 perpetrators a month. We safeguard about 1,200 children a month. Those are monthly figures, not annual figures. We estimate there are up to 800,000 individuals in the country who pose a risk of sexual harm to children in some form or another.

And what we’re seeing is an increasing level of incidents of perpetrators, child sexual abusers, choosing, I have to say in the main, fora like Facebook Messenger and Instagram Direct, both owned by Meta, to conduct these evil crimes. They groom children. They identify children. They solicit children online. They pretend that they are children. They dupe them. They gain their trust and then they manipulate them into performing sexual acts, indecent acts, pornographic acts ... And that is child abuse. That is criminal behaviour. And this is happening on an industrial scale.

And what Meta is proposing – they’re proposing to roll out end-to-end encryption without safety measures – will fundamentally make fora like Facebook Messenger and Instagram Direct safe havens for paedophiles to operate in the dark.

As PA reports, Meta has said it already restricts people aged over 19 from messaging teenagers who do not follow them and expects to continue providing “more reports to law enforcement than our peers”. A company spokesperson said:

The overwhelming majority of Brits already rely on apps that use encryption to keep them safe from hackers, fraudsters and criminals.

We don’t think people want us reading their private messages so have spent the last five years developing robust safety measures to prevent, detect and combat abuse while maintaining online security.

We’re today publishing an updated report setting out these measures, such as restricting people over 19 from messaging teens who don’t follow them and using technology to identify and take action against malicious behaviour.

As we roll out end-to-end encryption, we expect to continue providing more reports to law enforcement than our peers due to our industry-leading work on keeping people safe.

Tory rightwinger and former levelling up secretary Simon Clarke tells Sunak not to 'shatter' consensus on net zero

Broadly the way Conservative MPs have responded to the news that Rishi Suank is about to water down net zero targets in predictable ways, with rightwingers sceptical about climate measures delighted, and green Tories alarmed.

But last night there was an interesting intervention from Simon Clarke. Clarke was one of Liz Truss’s most loyal supporters when she was PM, and last night her team were pointint out that she explicitly called for net zero targets to be watered down. She said:

We should – as many other Western countries are already doing – delay implementing Net Zero commitments such as the ban on new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030. Other environmental regulations which are hiking the cost of living, like enforcing the replacement of gas and oil boilers, should also be abandoned.

Clarke was levelling up secretary in Truss’s cabinet. But he is also MP for Middlesbrough South and East Clevelend, in the north-east where the car industry is a big employer, and last night he posted a thread on X (Twitter) arguing that Sunak was on the verge of making a terrible mistake. It would be wrong to “shatter” the consensus on net zero, Clarke said.

Our climate is changing dramatically. The UK has carved out a world-leading role delivering net zero in a market-friendly way that will deliver clean, secure energy and thousands of jobs in deprived communities like Teesside. My Red Wall constituents overwhelmingly support it.

We should be exceptionally careful of seeking to extract political advantage on this issue when the efforts of successive Prime Ministers - the majority of them Conservative - have been dedicated to upholding what Margaret Thatcher called a “full repairing lease” on our planet.

Businesses rely on certainty to make major investments like that just secured from Tata in Somerset. It is unclear how they are to plan at all if we respond to one byelection in west London by tearing up key planks of government policy.

When the history of this period of @Conservatives government is written, our leadership on climate issues will be one of our main achievements. We are fortunate to have a broad, non partisan consensus in the UK. How does it benefit either our country or our party to shatter it?

I am very clear: the delivery of net zero should not be a hair-shirt exercise. But I am equally clear that it is in our environmental, economic, moral and (yes) political interests as @Conservatives to make sure we lead on this issue rather than disown it.

Braverman implies current net zero targets 'unrealistic and punitive', saying Sunak right to rethink them

Suella Braverman, the home secretary, was doing the media round this morning on behalf of No 10. As Aletha Adu reports, without giving details of what Rishi Sunak will announce, she backed the idea of watering down net zero targets.

Braverman told Times Radio:

We’ve achieved a huge amount in the last decade … but ultimately, we have to adopt a pragmatic approach, a proportionate approach, and one that also serves our goals. And we’re not going to save the planet by bankrupting the British people.

And, in an interview with the Today programme, Braverman implied the current net zero targets were “punitive. She said:

We need to make sure these [net zero] targets are achievable. We need to make sure, whatever goal we set, is going to be affordable, it’s going to be sustainable, and ultimately that it’s deliverable. We don’t want to set targets which are totally unrealistic and punitive.

Asked if she was saying the targets were totally unrealistic when Boris Johnson set them, she said targets always had to be assessed in the light of “changing factors’.

Braverman is aligned with the wing of the Conservative party sceptical about net zero, and she may have been speaking as she did because she wants to encourage Sunak not to change his mind at the last minute. The BBC was reporting this morning that what the PM will announce has not yet been 100% finalised.

But what Braverman was saying was broadly in line with what Sunak has been saying himself. After the Uxbridge and South Ruislip byelection in July, when the government was starting to wobble on net zero, Sunak himself said that the policy should be applied “in a proportionate and pragmatic way”. He also implied the current policies were too costly for consumers.

Labour says Sunak's handling of net zero shows his 'chaotic approach to running country'

Darren Jones, shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, was giving interviews this morning. Echoing the line used by other Labour figures, he said Rishi Sunak’s handling of the net zero targets was “chaotic”. He said:

This is a classic example of Rishi Sunak’s weak leadership. You don’t announce these big changes in industrial policy via a leak from Downing Street and a late-night press release from the prime minister’s bunker.

Ministers didn’t seem to know, we’ve just seen … the home secretary didn’t know the details. Tory MPs didn’t know, which is why they’re furious on the airwaves and some calling for Rishi Sunak to go, and businesses won’t have known, in the weeks where Tory ministers have been signing off hundreds of millions of pounds to help businesses get ready for these long-held targets.

This is a chaotic approach to running the country, it’s completely unacceptable and it’s harming the economy.

Joanna Partridge has more on the car industry criticising Rishi Sunak for reportedly being on the verge of announcing that he is going to delay the point at which the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars comes into force.

What Sunak said last night about net zero, implying Boris Johnson was not honest 'about costs and trade-offs'

Here is the text of the statement Rishi Sunak issued last night confirming that he is set to announce a rethink on some net zero policies.

For too many years politicians in governments of all stripes have not been honest about costs and trade-offs. Instead, they have taken the easy way out, saying we can have it all.

This realism doesn’t mean losing our ambition or abandoning our commitments. Far from it. I am proud that Britain is leading the world on climate change. We are committed to net zero by 2050 and the agreements we have made internationally, but doing so in a better, more proportionate way.

Our politics must again put the long-term interests of our country before the short-term political needs of the moment.

No leak will stop me beginning the process of telling the country how and why we need to change.

As a first step, I’ll be giving a speech this week to set out an important long-term decision we need to make so our country becomes the place I know we all want it to be for our children.

Sunak’s opening sentence about politicians of all parties not being “honest about costs and trade-offs” seems to be a swipe at Boris Johnson. He is arguing that Johnson was cakeist about net zero, implying that people could enjoy the benefits of tackling the climate crisis without having to pay the costs.

Updated

Sunak faces backlash over plan to drop key net zero targets, with Ford saying ‘vital catalyst’ for car industry at risk

Good morning. Last night we learned that Rishi Sunak is about to announce a major scaling back of some of the government’s net zero targets.

After the news broke, first on the BBC, Sunak issued a late-night statement in effect confirming the story. “Our politics must again put the long-term interests of our country before the short-term political needs of the moment,” he said, stretching credibility to breaking point because at Westminster it is probably impossible to find anyone who does not think putting “short-term political needs” ahead of the long-term national interests is precisely what Sunak is doing. The Conservatives’ electoral prospects are dire. Campaigning on small boats has not worked (for reasons explained well in a Twitter thread starting here). And so Sunak seems to be trying another electorally-motivated gambit, inspired partly by the outcome in Uxbridge and South Ruislip in the summer, which now could end up being seen as the most consequential byelection of modern times.

Last night we were reporting that Sunak was due to give details in a speech on Friday. Now there are suggestions it will be brought forward, with Chris Mason, the BBC’s political editor, saying this morning it could even happen today.

So far, reaction has been intense – but largely predictable.

In favour: Rightwing Conservative MPs who have always been sceptical about net zero policies, and the Tory papers. Here is the Daily Mail splash (which is quite similar to the one it ran on the day after Liz Truss’s mini-budget).

Against: Green-leaning Tory MPs, opposition parties (although Labour is not saying it will reverse anything Sunak announces), environmentalists (in the UK and abroad), and the car industry.

We have just had a statement from Lisa Brankin, the chair of Ford UK, saying that if, as reported, Sunak abandons the plan to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in the UK from 2030, that would undermine the investment Ford has been making in the British car industry. She said:

This is the biggest industry transformation in over a century and the UK 2030 target is a vital catalyst to accelerate Ford into a cleaner future. Our business needs three things from the UK government: ambition, commitment and consistency. A relaxation of 2030 would undermine all three. We need the policy focus trained on bolstering the EV [electric vehicle] market in the short term and supporting consumers while headwinds are strong: infrastructure remains immature, tariffs loom and cost-of- living is high.

Sam Coates from Sky has the full quote.

The Commons is not sitting today, and so Sunak will not face questions from MPs. There is not much in the political diary, but I will be focusing on this issue most of the day.

If you want to contact me, do try the “send us a message” feature. You’ll see it just below the byline – on the left of the screen, if you are reading on a laptop or a desktop. This is for people who want to message me directly. I find it very useful when people message to point out errors (even typos – no mistake is too small to correct). Often I find your questions very interesting, too. I can’t promise to reply to them all, but I will try to reply to as many as I can, either in the comments below the line, privately (if you leave an email address and that seems more appropriate), or in the main blog, if I think it is a topic of wide interest.

Updated

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Calm down everyone, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse's directors reveal doesn't mean what you think it does
One of Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse's producers has addressed fan concerns over its development after a recent directing team announcement.
TechRadar
TechRadar
"Why would Vogue allow this?”: Skechers faces AI allegations over controversial ad
It gets the worse the more you look at it.
Creative Bloq
Creative Bloq
Fyodor fever: how Dostoevsky became a social media sensation
White Nights, the author’s 1848 novella, sounds an unlikely candidate to go viral, but the story of lovelorn loneliness is now a favourite among TikTok and Instagram users
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
The lore of the fruitcake
"Credit for the fruitcake's popularity in America should at least partially go to the U.S. Post Office"
Salon
Salon
North Carolina Passes Sweeping Surprise Ban on 'Downzoning'
To the bewilderment of many, North Carolina's hurricane relief bill includes the nation's strongest property rights protections against new zoning restrictions.
Reason
Reason
Vira-lata caramelo: Brazil has a new icon thanks to Netflix and memes
The caramelo craze started online around 2019 and skyrocketed from there
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
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