Coutinho: Sunak was right to water down green pledges
The Prime Minister was “exactly right” to row back on green pledges and ease the mandated shift from fossil fuel powered cars and boilers to low carbon alternatives, energy security and net zero secretary Claire Coutinho has said.
The freshly appointed frontbencher was grilled by MPs in Westminster today, and confirmed delaying the ban of new petrol and diesel cars and oil and gas heating systems was a decision she “worked on together” with Rishi Sunak.
She argued the decision ensured that households did not bear the brunt of net zero, and remained supportive of the green agenda.
“We have made small changes that would have protected people from paying thousands and thousands of pounds, at a marginal cost to our climate ambitions,” Coutinho told the Energy Security and Net Zero committee.
However, the minister believed the government still has an “incredible track record” when it comes to cutting emissions, stating that the UK’s projected 68 per cent cut over the current decade is ahead of rival markets such as the EU and US.
“Even if you look forward into the future when it gets to 2030, we still have incredibly ambitious targets when it comes to net zero,” she said.
This follows Sunak revealing in September that the phasing out of new petrol and diesel car sales had been delayed five years from 2030 to 2035.
He has also watered down the transition from fossil fuel boilers to heat pumps and hydrogen solutions, scrapping the 2035 date and exempting households not deemed suitable for green options.
The UK’s housing stock is among the least efficient in Europe and is highly dependent on fossil fuel powered heating, with 85 per cent of customers relying on gas boilers to warm their homes.
The Prime Minister also expanded the allowance in the Boiler Upgrade Scheme from £6,000 to £7,500, giving more support to people installing heat pumps
Coutinho told the committee this reflected how the government was increasingly focused on how the UK reaches net zero and making sure it took into account “the real world effects on people.”
At the time of the announcement, Sunak challenged his critics to explain why families should bear the costs of the transition to net zero energy.
He told the BBC that while “lots of people disagreed” with his decision, it was hard to justify telling households they have to pay for costly boiler upgrades and electric cars ahead of rival markets.
“They should explain to the country why they think it is right for ordinary families up and down the country should have to fork out £5,000 to £15,000 to make the transition earlier than is necessary, and to do things that aren’t possible for them,” he said.