Andy Burnham has said no decision has yet been made on changes to electric vehicle (EV) targets, following reports that the Prime Minister is preparing to cut a target for electric vehicle sales. The Guardian reported that Louise Haigh, Mr Burnham's de facto deputy, is expected to agree this week to lower the current target of having 80% of car sales in the UK be zero-emission vehicles by 2030.
The overarching plan is for zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) to make up 100% of cars sold by 2035, with a phased increase up to that point. Burnham is due to attend the Cop31 climate summit beginning on Monday in Antalya, on Turkey's southern coast, for the first time as PM.
Consultation Under Review
Asked during a visit to Watford how he would justify such a move to those who see it as eroding the Government's commitment to the green agenda, he said: "Well, the consultation on the mandate for zero-emission vehicles concluded only a fortnight ago, so obviously that is being looked at now. The range of responses to the consultation… so these reports are just that: they're reports, they're speculation and no decision has been made at this point."
The Government launched a consultation in August on the ZEV mandate amid concerns from carmakers about the impact of the order to phase out the sale of purely petrol or diesel cars and vans. The current regime requires 80% of car sales to be zero emission – usually electric-powered – by the end of the decade, with hybrids making up the rest. Under the options set out in the consultation, the target could be cut to as low as 50%.
Industry and Political Reactions
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has previously called the current mandate a "fantasy" and welcomed the review. The Guardian reported that the Government is expected to sign off on a 60% target, a move which has sparked criticism from green campaigners, particularly given the timing as the international climate conference takes place.
Green MP Sian Berry said: "The switch to EVs has the potential to create greater emissions savings than any other energy transition policy, while providing drivers with vehicles that can be significantly cheaper to run. Yet again, this Labour Government is heading in the wrong direction. Instead of pandering to corporate lobbying and stalling on the phase-out of petrol and diesel vehicles, they should be boosting EV uptake through vehicle scrappage schemes and cheaper, more abundant and more reliable public charging infrastructure."
Catherine Fookes, the MP for Monmouthshire, told The Guardian: "The Government has some incredibly difficult decisions to make in the coming months and the Prime Minister will need to weigh up the consequences of each. We need the ZEV mandate to stay, and Rosebank (oil field) to be rejected."
Government Position and Next Steps
The Labour Climate and Environment Forum said in a social media post: "The Government is right to support the industry and its workers, but weakening the mandate will do little to help." The PM's official spokesman insisted Mr Burnham remained committed to tackling climate change, saying his attendance at the summit sends a "clear message that the UK remains a climate leader."
"The Government is fully behind the zero emission vehicle mandate, and no decisions have been taken yet," they added. "We're sticking to our commitments: on phasing out new cars that run only on petrol or diesel by 2030, (that) every new car and van will be zero emissions by 2035 and our legally binding net zero targets. None of that is changing. The consultation is about getting the details right, so the switch works for drivers, for carmakers and for the hundreds of workers whose jobs depend on it."
Ms Haigh is overseeing the Government's decision-making process after the PM recused himself because of his wife Marie-France van Heel's work advising the board of the Manchester-based electric vehicle charging network Be.EV. The idea for a ZEV mandate originally was put forward by a Conservative Government, during Boris Johnson's tenure as PM. The Tories have since shifted away from the policy, with current leader Kemi Badenoch describing it as a "well-meaning, but ultimately destructive piece of legislation", BBC News reports.
