The head of the Climate Change Committee (CCC), Chris Stark, has criticised Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for hindering the UK’s progress on climate change, warning of potential lagging behind other countries.
In an interview with the BBC, Mr Stark expressed disappointment that the Prime Minister hadn’t prioritised the issue as much as his predecessors.
The Prime Minister’s decision to postpone a ban on new petrol and diesel cars and weaken targets on phasing out gas boilers in the autumn represented a significant departure from previous green policies.
During the interview, Mr Stark voiced concerns, stating, “I think it’s set us back,” highlighting the UK’s previous leadership in climate action.
The chief of the CCC acknowledged successes in decarbonising electricity generation but emphasised the need for more action in areas like heating homes, industrial emissions, farming and transportation systems to achieve net zero emissions.
A government spokesperson said: “We are the first major economy to halve greenhouse gas emissions since 1990 and have set into law one of the most ambitious 2035 climate change targets of any major economy.
“But we need to reach our net zero goals in a sustainable way, so we have taken action to protect our energy security, ease the burdens on hard-working people and provide transparency about the choices involved so that we bring people with us in meeting our climate targets.”
