The Prime Minister has announced a raft of changes to the UK’s net zero policy. Many of these alterations appear to be a step back, but let’s focus on the positives.
For the past four years, the UK government has claimed to be leading the world in the drive to carbon net zero. However, in tougher economic times, hard decisions need to be made. While the pledge to hit net zero by 2050 remains, the plan for getting there has changed dramatically. Most of the changes announced by Rishi Sunak in the last month are delays, leading to accusations that he’s watering down his government’s ambitions. However, there are some investments in his announcement that many have overlooked. In this article, we’ll examine them in more detail. Let’s get started.
Revised plans
The Prime Minister announced several changes to his government’s net zero plan. Here are some that grabbed the headlines:
- Postponing the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars to 2035 (from 2030)
- Delaying the ban on fitting coal, oil or LPG boilers for homes not on the gas grid to 2035 (from 2026)
- Making houses that will struggle with the cost of the phase-out of fossil fuel boilers in 2035 exempt from the requirement
- Abolishing policies that would require landlords to upgrade their properties’ energy efficiency ratings
- Introducing a new method to set carbon budgets
- Compiling a shortlist of companies to build Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)
- Creating a Green Future Fellowship fund with a budget of £150 million to promote sustainable technology
It’s fair to say that the majority of these are a step back from previous commitments, moving back formerly immovable deadlines and changing requirements to mere encouragements. However, amongst these measures, two positive moves catch the eye.
Heat pump grants
In this series of changes, Rishi Sunak announced that he would increase the Boiler Upgrade Grant to £7,500, a rise of 50%. This grant aims to help households with the cost of replacing a fossil fuel boiler with a new, low-carbon heat pump.
Heat pumps work by drawing air from outside the home through a network of tubes filled with refrigerant gas. This gas extracts the heat from the air, passing it through a compressor to liquify it, raising its temperature. This hot liquid then goes through a heat exchanger that sends it to your taps and radiators. The refrigerant then returns to gas form, and the cycle begins again.
While many experts were disappointed that heat pumps would not be a compulsory requirement, most welcomed the increase in the grant.
Grid reforms
Sunak, alongside Claire Coutinho – the new Energy Secretary – also announced proposals to transform the way new renewable energy generation plants are connected to the National Grid. At the moment, it takes far too long to get new transmission projects connected. There is a queue for infrastructure, operating on a first-come-first-served basis. The Prime Minister calls it ‘unacceptable’ and unveiled a plan to fast-track infrastructure applications and speed up grid connections.
Back in May 2023, the Larks Green solar farm became the first solar facility in the UK to connect directly to the energy distribution network. Before this happened, all the UK’s solar farms were connected to regional transmission networks which run at a lower voltage. The government wants to see more renewable facilities connected, so homes and businesses can reap the benefits.
Unlike most of the measures Sunak announced, the industry reaction to this policy shift was warmly welcomed. The industry needs to deliver world-class infrastructure to ensure the country can truly gain from this drive to renewable energy. This new policy is a step towards achieving it.
Industry reaction
By and large, the reaction from the energy and wider media was one of scepticism. Many wonder how we can hit the already ambitious target of net zero by 2050 by moving slower rather than faster. Sunak has also been accused of playing politics, especially in the way that he announced an end to policies that didn’t actually exist, such as a ‘meat tax’ or a requirement to use seven different bins for your rubbish.
However, the Prime Minister says he’s on the right track. Let’s hope he’s right.
Focusing on the future
Changing policies halfway through their action is always a tricky ask for a Prime Minister – and net zero was already a contentious issue. It’s no surprise many experts in the industry are disappointed with his newly-announced measures. However, the PM has to balance environmental concerns with the fact that economically, times are hard for many at the moment. Changes such as the postponement of the ban on selling new petrol and diesel cars or swapping your boiler for a heat pump are probably not vote-winners right now.
Getting to net zero as fast as possible is massively important – for us, for future generations and the planet. Only time will tell if we can make it happen.