Sunak faces further pressure over net zero U-turn after IEA warning

(The Guardian, 24 Oct 2023) Energy watchdog says countries risks fuelling climate crisis and damaging their economies by rowing back on green policies.

Rishi Sunak faces further pressure over his U-turn on net zero targets, after the head of the world’s energy watchdog said countries that water down green policies risked worsening the climate crisis and damaging their own economies.

In its annual report, the International Energy Agency (IEA) hailed the gathering pace of the worldwide transition to cleaner energy, forecasting for the first time that demand for oil, gas and coal would peak before the end of the decade.

But the report called on governments not to derail progress by weakening climate measures, warning that effects such as wildfires and flooding meant that “no country is an island”.

Sunak caused consternation among environmental campaigners and the automotive sector alike when he announced measures that included a delay to the phasing out of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030. The prime minister – who has vowed to end the “war on motorists” – set a new target of 2035.

External link

The Guardian, 24 Oct 2023: Sunak faces further pressure over net zero U-turn after IEA warning