Rishi Sunak: Banning things not right approach to net zero

Rishi Sunak has said "banning things" is "not the right approach" to reaching net zero, as political debate over the costs of climate action heats up.

The prime minister said he was committed to achieving the 2050 target to curb carbon emissions, but in a "pragmatic and proportionate way".

Some Conservative MPs have called for a rethink of green policies.

Mr Sunak spoke to the BBC after a court rejected a legal challenge to the expansion of London's clean-air zone.

Friday's ruling came in the wake of last week's parliamentary by-election in Uxbridge and South Ruislip, where Labour blamed its failure to take the seat from the Conservatives on concerns over the extension of the zone to outer London.

Steve Tuckwell, the new Tory MP for the constituency, opposed Labour mayor Sadiq Khan's plan to enlarge the Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez), under which owners of the most polluting vehicles have to pay a daily charge.

In a month when intense heatwaves worldwide prompted grave warnings about climate change, the backlash against Ulez has propelled net zero back to the top of the political agenda in the UK.

In an interview with BBC Wales, Mr Sunak was asked about a study that found Wrexham had taken eight domestic return flights to play matches in the National League last season.

Domestic flights have a much larger carbon footprint per kilometre of travel than any other mode of transport, according to Our World in Data.

In response to the question, Mr Sunak said: "I don't think that we're going to get to net zero by telling everybody that they can't fly anywhere or can't do this or can't do that. That's not my approach to it."

He said his government would strive to meet net zero without "unnecessarily adding costs and burdens to families, particularly at a time like now when the cost of living is a challenge for people with inflation".

Mr Sunak said there was "lots of progress to celebrate" on net zero, but added "banning things and stopping people from doing things is not the right approach".

The prime minister has faced calls from some Conservatives to scrap his government's policy of banning the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030.

But earlier this week, cabinet minister Michael Gove said the government remained committed to the ban, which was announced in 2020 by then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

The Tory candidate for next year's London mayoral election, Susan Hall, told the BBC she thought the 2030 ban would not be "possible".

Pressed on whether she agreed with the government's green agenda, she said: "Net zero is a good ambition. How we get there is debatable.

"We'd all have different ideas, but I have to tell you, Londoners do not want the expanded Ulez zone."

The Conservative Leader of the House of Commons, Penny Mordaunt, echoed that view in a tweet, which claimed Ulez was "clobbering" households, businesses and charities.

"We will only reach our environmental objectives by innovations that are affordable, possible and desirable," she wrote.

London's mayor, Mr Khan, has vigorously defended the expansion of Ulez, which was found to be lawful in Friday's High Court ruling.

He said the decision "allows us to press on with the difficult but vital task of cleaning up London's air and tackling the climate crisis".

The mayor's office says 90% of cars seen driving in outer London comply with Ulez standards, a figure that has been backed by the UK Statistics Authority.

But senior figures within the Labour Party have expressed concerns about the policy.

In a BBC phone-in earlier this week, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Mr Khan should "reflect" on the Ulez expansion and the "impact it's having on people".

And on Thursday, shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves told The Sun newspaper she did not think it was the right time to "clobber" Londoners with the Ulez tax.

The BBC has been told conversations with the mayor are ongoing.

In YouGov surveys, the environment consistently ranks among the most important issues facing the country.

But polling indicates that climate action that involves personal costs or changes to lifestyle is less popular. One YouGov survey found only 22% of UK respondents would stick to walking, cycling or using public transport rather than driving to cut emissions.