The Government could row back on plans that would have seen landlords fined should they not achieve a certain EPC rating as it waters down its net zero plans, according to reports in The Guardian.
It is being reported that Rishi Sunak could announce the changes as early as today and as of this morning Home Secretary Suella Braverman has been doing media rounds supporting changes to the net zero policies.
She said that the Government does not want to “impose punitive burdens on people” or “bankrupt Britain” in striving to achieve something which “may not be realistic”.
Other policies which could be scraped or delayed could include a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and watering down the phasing out of gas boilers.
The Prime Minister said: “This realism doesn’t mean losing our ambition or abandoning our commitments. Far from it. I am proud that Britain is leading the world on climate change. We are committed to net zero by 2050 and the agreements we have made internationally – but doing so in a better, more proportionate way.”
However, the suggestion of watering down net zero policies has seen the Prime Minister face criticism within his own party.
Former Housing Minister and COP26 president Alok Sharma said scraping climate plans would not help the economy, or his party at the ballot box.
He said: “The UK has been a leader on climate action but we cannot rest on our laurels. For any party to resile from this agenda will not help economically or electorally.”
