Comment: potential Government row back on net zero policies

“If these rumours are true, the sheer number of u-turns would speak of chaos at the heart of government. Rowing back on energy efficiency leaves the poorest with higher bills. Delaying the transition to EVs means fewer, cheaper-to-run second-hand cars. The phase-out of gas boilers wasn’t due to kick-in for another 12 years and then only when boilers broke.

"All of this would leave us more dependent on foreign oil and gas, less energy independent and with investors spooked, putting jobs in the industries of the future in jeopardy. Only recently the Government blundered the offshore wind auction, leaving bill payers to pay an extra £1 billion on expensive gas power stations instead.

"As the rest of the world is rushing to invest in net zero industries, any further rowing back by the UK would leave our international standing further tarnished.

"The British people are concerned by the more extreme floods and wildfires they see here and elsewhere, back net zero and seek leadership from Government in delivering it. This would be the complete opposite.”