Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has proposed a so-called "new approach" to tackling climate change, downplaying key parts of his green agenda, including delaying a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel-powered cars by five years to 2035.
"At least now it should be up to you, the consumers, to make your own choices, rather than the government forcing you to do so," Sunak said in a speech in Downing Street on Wednesday, predicting that by 2030, even if there is no government intervention, the vast majority of cars sold in the UK will be electric.
Sunak said he remained committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050, but said the UK should achieve this in a "more appropriate way" with subsidies for voters facing cost-of-living pressures.