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Government plans to weaken green policies;
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Pushing back the ban on the sale of new petrol and
diesel cars and phasing out gas boilers could be part of the
decision;
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The REA stresses that the UK cannot afford to abandon
promises on energy security and affordable energy
transition.
The REA (Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology)
responds to speculation that the Government will water down some
of their key green policies. This could include delaying the ban
on the sales of new petrol and diesel cars and phasing out gas
boilers. The Prime Minister is expected to address the changes in
the coming days.
The decision to delay the ban on the sales of new petrol and
diesel cars as well as the phasing out of gas boilers will only
mean more dependence on expensive fossil fuels. It would also
risk undermining the investments that have gone into renewable
technologies, following the Government’s previous commitment to
have strong markets in place by the 2030s.
The REA reiterates that weakening green policies will make the
energy transition more expensive and the UK cannot afford to
abandon existing promises if the Prime Minister is serious about
energy security and ensuring an affordable energy transition.
Dr Nina Skorupska CBE, Chief Executive of the REA
(Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology)
said:
“Any rolling back on existing net zero commitments is not the
smart economic choice for the country. It is short term
policy making that guarantees more expensive bills for us all in
the future.
“If confirmed, delays to both the ban on the sales of
new petrol and diesel cars and the phasing outof gas boilers will
extend the countries reliance on expensive fossil fuels. It also
risks undermining the millions of pounds of investments that
have already been made based on the understanding that Government
is committed to seeing strong markets for EVs, heat pumps,
biomass boilers, and other renewable technologies, in place by
the 2030s. A reversal on these targets damages the opportunities
these sectors are set to provide to the UK, both in terms of
growth and jobs, while making the overall energy transition more
expensive.
“Last year, the Net Zero Review was clear. The energy
transition is the ‘economic opportunity of the
21st century’. Other countries are pursuing this at
pace by putting in place generous support packages, as
demonstrated by US Inflation Reduction Act. The UK cannot afford
to look like it is exiting this race. If the Prime Minister is
serious about energy security and ensuring an affordable energy
transition, then he must not abandon these existing
promises.”
