The Tories’ narrow victory over Labour at the Uxbridge and South Ruislip byelection has triggered soul searching in both parties about the direction of their green policies.
Voters rejected the Labour candidate, Danny Beales, after a campaign fought almost entirely over a single issue: Sadiq Khan’s plans to extend the ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) for cars.
Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, has urged the London mayor to “reflect” on the policy to extend Ulez, while Conservative sources have suggested a range of green initiatives could now be on the chopping block.
Expanding fossil fuel production
One of the clearest divisions between Labour and the Conservatives is now over what should happen to Britain’s remaining fossil fuel reserves.
Labour has promised not to issue any more oil or gas licences for the North Sea if it comes to power next year, a position for which the party has come under attack from both the Conservatives and some trade unions.
This weekend, however, Grant Shapps, the energy secretary, confirmed to the Financial Times that the government’s policy was to “max out” the North Sea’s oil and gas stores.
The Climate Change Committee’s latest report says: “Expansion of fossil fuel production is not in line with net zero. As well as pushing forward strongly with new low-carbon industries, net zero also makes it necessary to move away from high-carbon developments.”
2030 petrol and diesel car ban
Senior Conservatives responded to the Uxbridge byelection victory by urging Rishi Sunak to drop the government’s commitment to phase out petrol and diesel cars by 2030.
When asked on Monday if he intended to stand by the policy, Sunak notably failed to answer the question. “Of course net zero is important to me,” he said. “So yes, we’re going to keep making progress towards our net zero ambitions and we’re also going to strengthen our energy security.”
Downing Street later insisted the target had not changed. But in a hint that it could be removed in future, the prime minister’s official spokesperson said: “It is right that if the situation changes and new technology evolves that we keep our approach under review and make sure that it is the right one.
“Equally at a time of global high inflation, which is hitting the public hard, we need to make sure that we’re getting the balance right.”
LTN ban
Low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTN) have become a highly sensitive political topic, feeding into a broader culture war over car use in cities. Under an array of schemes that were rolled out during the pandemic, motorists are restricted in driving on certain roads in the hope of reducing traffic flows in parts of towns and cities.
The transport secretary, Mark Harper, recently called for a review of LTNs, but the national government is limited in how it can interfere with policies that are set by local authorities.
The Times reported on Monday that ministers could refuse to grant access to the DVLA database to councils that want to impose new LTNs, which would make it impossible for them to monitor the schemes using numberplate recognition cameras.
Downing Street said: “The government’s view is that they need to work for local people [and] they need to involve extensive consultation. We’ve seen some councils remove some LTNs where they don’t work for people in the past.”
Landlords and insulation
One important element of the government’s push to hit its Paris climate targets is the insistence that all landlords should have a C energy efficiency rating by 2028.
“We’re asking too much too quickly,” Gove told the Sunday Telegraph this weekend. “We do want to move towards greater energy efficiency, but just at this point, when landlords face so much, I think that we should relax the pace that’s been set for people in the private rented sector.”
The UK’s inefficient homes now account for 21% of all carbon emissions. According to research by the National Housing Federation, which represents housing associations in England, England’s 25m homes – which produce 58.5m tonnes of CO2 every year – emit the equivalent of the average annual use of 28m cars.
Helen Clarkson, the chief executive of the Climate Group, said: “Asking landlords to fix draughty flats will save far more than it costs. Instead of giving up on targets, options to better support smaller landlords, like tax incentives used in other countries, should be considered.”
Gas boiler ban in new-builds
Under current policy, developers will not be allowed to fit new homes with gas boilers by 2025, with many expected to use heat pumps instead.
Additionally ministers are proposing that manufacturers of fossil fuel boilers would have to install a certain number of heat pumps for every fossil fuel boiler they sell. That quota is due to come into force next year, but lobbyists have been pushing for this to be delayed to 2026.
The energy minister, Martin Callanan, tweeted support for heat pumps on Monday, saying: “Government policy remains that heat pumps will be the main solution for decarbonising heat in UK.”
Downing Street said the 2025 deadline “remains our commitment”. But a spokesperson added: “It’s obviously right we consider how technology evolves over time as we progress towards 2035.”
However, the policy is subject to intense lobbying from the Net Zero Scrutiny Group of Conservative MPs.
Craig Mackinlay, the MP for South Thanet, has repeatedly bashed heat pumps, saying: “Heat pumps are expensive, noisy and inefficient, requiring high electricity input that can increase overall bills.
“Threats of bans of existing proven technology doesn’t prove that untried ones are naturally better, that is for the market and consumer choice to decide.”
