UK: Rishi Sunak warned that Tories' key green pledges are 'unachievable'

Source: The Observer

Rishi Sunak warned that Tories’ key green pledges are ‘unachievable’

Whitehall watchdog gives red rating to set of measures aimed to bring net-zero goals, amid backlash over retreat on climate policy

Michael Savage Policy editor
Sat 29 Jul 2023 22.54 BST
First published on Sat 29 Jul 2023 18.51 BST

Rishi Sunak has been accused of showing disregard for the climate crisis after Whitehall officials warned that some of his key green pledges were already unachievable.

With the prime minister facing a backlash within his own party after appearing to row back from his commitment to green policies, an internal government audit found that a series of measures designed to help meet Britain’s net zero goals had been allowed to run off course.

A scheme to reduce packaging, a deposit return plan for plastic bottles, a boost for recycling and a tree planting and woodland creation programme have all been given a “red” rating by Whitehall’s major projects body. It concluded that their successful delivery “appears unachievable”.

The revelation backed up claims that the government is in “full and chaotic retreat” on climate pledges. Sunak has already signalled that the UK’s net zero targets should not “unnecessarily give people more hassle” and on Saturday announced that he had ordered a review of the rollout of low-traffic neighbourhoods, telling the Telegraph he was “on the side” of motorists.

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jul/29/rishi-sunak-warned-that-tories-key-green-pledges-are-unachievable

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