Petrol And Diesel Engines “Welcome” In Great Britain Until 2035

The energy transition is slowing down, and the UK is waiving its environmental responsibilities. And there are those already talking about London’s U-turn in regards to green energy and, more generally, climate change.

In a message to his fellow citizens, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that the much-criticized ban on the sale of new petrol or diesel cars “will be delayed by at least five years,” from 2030 until 2035.

The Conservative prime minister’s popularity has fallen to historic lows in recent weeks. The latest population survey conducted by the IPSOS Institute, the results of which were published by the English newspaper The Guardian, is truly “catastrophic” for Sunak. The number of “disappointed” voters heading to the polls in the UK general election scheduled from late 2024 to early 2025 has reached 86%, including 65% of Conservative Party voters.

To win over the people, Sunak decided to completely reconsider his government’s green goals. One of the measures that caused sharp criticism and protests from the population was the obligation to “replace polluting gas boilers with heat pumps.” And now Sunak, speaking from his Downing Street residence, said the “decision has been put on hold indefinitely” because heat pumps are still “too expensive for the average British family.”

But allowing petrol and diesel cars until 2035 and ending the use of heat pumps were just the start of Sunak’s long list of “overhauls.” Thus, the conservative government has decided that homeowners will no longer be “required to perform insulation work,” there will be no new taxes on air tickets to “dissuade people from flying,” there will be no stricter rules on “waste segregation,” meat would not be taxed to “reduce consumption by increasing purchases of healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables.”

To understand whether Rishi Sunak’s U-turn really worked or not, we will have to wait for the results of a new public survey.