The PM says he wants an agenda towards meeting net zero which "takes people with us".

"I am confident we can adopt a more pragmatic and realistic approach to net zero which eases the burden on British people," he says.

Sunak says now that the country needs "sensible green leadership" and will require more transparent politics and a more honest debate around net zero.

He says the debate needs to change because it's currently stuck between two extremes - those who believe in abandoning net zero altogether and those who argue we must move even faster, regardless of the cost or disruption to people's lives.

He says both extremes are wrong and fail to reckon with the reality of the situation.

The prime minister says he believes deeply that most people want to do the right thing and are prepared to make sacrifices.

But he says it cannot be right for Westminster to make changes that deeply affect people's lives without an informed debate.

This is especially true, he says, when the UK is "so far ahead" of every other country in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Sunak goes on now to address the situation in Libya and the extreme heat in Europe, saying no-one can deny climate change in happening.

He says he is "confident" the UK can lead the world on climate change.

He says there is no point in being ambitious without being honest.

"The Climate Change Committee has rightly said you don't reach net zero, simply by wishing it", but says this is "precisely" what previous governments have done.

He flags things like compulsory taxes on flying, meat, and "dictating" that people have to sort their rubbish into "seven different bins" as things that have been proposed. He says they are not practical.

Rishi Sunak questions whether the government can be brave in its decision making even if it means being controversial.

He says he wants to be honest when facts change, putting long-term decisions before short-term choices - even if it comes at a political cost, he adds.

Sunak says he wants to bring back stability and says the government is going to change and make tweaks to a series of long-term decisions.

We're hearing from Rishi Sunak now.

He starts off by saying people dislike "Westminster gameplay", and are tired of the false choice of two versions of change that "never go beyond a slogan" .

He says he's been PM for a year and it's been a privilege.

Government can set the framework and step in when needed, he says, but those decisions that can bring change can be "so influenced by special interests".

He says the UK has stumbled into a future of the country that no-one seems to be happy with, motivated by short-term thinking.

People are being told the bits they want to hear and not what they need to hear by politicians, he adds.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is at the lectern and has started to speak - we are expecting to hear about big changes to the UK's policy on climate change.

Stay with us here for live updates, with coverage being streamed at the top of the page.

Iain Watson
Political correspondent

Climate policy provides the proof of the adage, ‘you can’t please all of the people all of the time.’

Rishi Sunak faces multiple challenges.

The most obvious is to convince industry and the global community he is still committed to achieving net zero by 2050 - while simultaneously apparently discarding some of the means of getting there.

Some big companies have already been sounding off – never a good look for a Conservative PM.

He also has to unite his own party as best he can.

Yet before uttering a word of his speech, he has been denounced by the green wing of Conservatives; and, perhaps unsurprisingly, has been offered unsolicited "helpful" advice not to falter on his net zero commitments by Boris Johnson.

But the leak of the measures he was considering altering or delaying has raised hopes among climate sceptic backbenchers, who may turn critical if he doesn’t entirely follow through.

Politically, though, he has to look like he is on the front foot, in charge of events.

Image source, Getty Images

• According to the government's 2021 heat and building strategy,, external "our ambition is to phase out the installation of natural gas boilers beyond 2035"
• The strategy insists: "No-one will be forced to remove their existing boilers"
• The government is also considering phasing out off-grid boilers (eg oil-powered) from 2026
• In 2019, then-Chancellor Philip Hammond announced a ban on gas boilers for new build homes from 2025, but that hasn't become law
• Instead, the 2021 strategy says the government will ensure "all new buildings in England are ready for net zero from 2025", without specifying a new-build gas boiler ban
• The strategy also says it will "ensure heat pumps are no more expensive to buy and run than gas boilers by 2030"

Chris Mason
Political editor

Hello from the press room in Downing Street. Number 9 Downing Street, to be precise.

A new slogan is on the lectern, and - I’ll whisper this because it’s a bit niche - I think it’s a new font too.

But enough of analysing the seven words we can see - it’ll be time shortly to unpick the far more plentiful set of words we’ll hear from the prime minister.

The current policy was announced in November 2020, external, and means:

• From 2030, the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans will be banned in the UK
• From 2035, all new cars and vans must be "fully zero emission at the tailpipe" - that means hybrids will also be banned
• People can still drive petrol and diesel cars from 2030 - they just won't be able to buy them new
• And people can still buy and sell petrol and diesel cars second-hand after 2030, so they won't disappear immediately

Image source, Reuters

We are about 10 minutes away from the speech by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, expected to announce major changes to the UK's green policies.

Stick with us to follow the speech live - which you can stream by pressing the Play button in the picture at the top of this page - and for all of the following reaction.

You can read more about the expected changes here.

Net zero means no longer adding to the total amount of greenhouse gases - such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane - in the atmosphere.

Not all emissions can be reduced to zero, so those that remain need to be matched by actively removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere - which is known as "offsetting".

The government said it wants to reach net zero by 2050.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak committed to this in his statement last night, and Home Secretary Suella Braverman confirmed it on the radio this morning.

The big question is how you move a country to be a net zero emitter of greenhouse gases - and that's why the government's plans are key.

• You can get the full detail n what net zero means here

We have just had a statement from the office of Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle criticising how the government has announced this change.

In a strongly worded statement, it says plans to announce changes to green policy should be made in the House of Commons - rather than a news conference.

A spokeswoman for Hoyle's office says it is "not the way to do business" and that "ministers are answerable to MPs – we do not have a presidential system here".

Image source, PA Media

Is the UK a leader on climate change?published at 16:06 British Summer Time 20 September 2023

16:06 BST 20 September 2023

Home Secretary Suella Braverman told BBC News this morning that “the UK is a global leader when it comes to combating climate change.”

But that claim is not supported by the independent Climate Change Committee, which was appointed by the government to monitor its progress in reducing emissions.

The committee’s report in June said, external: “The UK has lost its clear global leadership position on climate action.”

It cited the consent given to a new coal mine and support for new coal and gas production. It added that the government had failed to take steps in response to fossil fuel price rises that would have reduced energy demand and grown renewable generation.

And it warned that steps taken by the US and the EU would be attracting green investment away from the UK.

The UK has made the biggest reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in the G7 group of advanced economies since 1990, but that excludes emissions from the manufacture of products that the UK imports.

You can read more about it here.

Michael Sheils McNamee
Live reporter

We're about 30 minutes away from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak delivering a speech expected to announce a serious overhaul of the UK's climate policy.

The potential changes were first reported yesterday by the BBC.

These are expected to include a pushing back of the ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars, a weakening of rules around phasing out of gas boilers, and changes to energy efficiency requirements on homes.

Stay with us on the page for live updates from the speech, and all the following reaction.

You can read more about what we are expecting here.

Rishi Sunak's apparent move to change the government's green targets has been criticised by opposition politicians, industry and environmental groups - as well as members of his own Conservative Party. But others have praised the prime minister's approach.

Fellow Tory MP Craig Mackinlay has also come out in support of Sunak, saying he's "pleased to see some pragmatism".

Moving back dates for net zero targets "will take pie in the sky 'greenwash' measures out of clearly unachievable deadlines," he added.

Image source, Getty Images

Climate change campaigner and former US Vice President Al Gore has said Rishi Sunak is doing "the wrong thing" by watering down key climate commitments.

"I think it’s unfortunate that he would do that and I think the people of the United Kingdom would largely agree that it’s the wrong decision… That’s for people for the United Kingdom to address," Gore told BBC diplomatic correspondent James Landale in New York.

Gore, who is the founder and chairman of the Climate Reality Project, added: "I certainly disagree with it…. He’s doing the wrong thing".

Thank you for continuing to share your thoughts on this story with us.

Here are a few more of your responses:

Nigel Ford agrees with the government's plan to scale back net zero targets, saying it would be a "sensible decision to move the ban on new combustion cars to 2035 or 2040."

Others, however, disagree.

Ian Hobday says he "cannot believe" the government is pushing back climate change policies "with all the evidence that the planet is being destroyed."

Jacob Black says he cannot see the government achieving the 2050 net zero emissions target if the current policies are relaxed.

Justin Rowlatt
BBC Climate editor

Sunak says his review of the government’s green pledges is all about putting the “long term interests of our country before the short-term political needs of the moment.”

But some observers question whether there would be much benefit for consumers from some of the proposed changes.

The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), a climate change think tank, says that it will be years before anyone is being forced to ditch their gas boiler.

The ban on the sale of new gas boilers only comes in 2035 and is only relevant when your boiler breaks. It is a similar story with cars.

Four out of five of us buy second hand cars and there is no phase out date on second hard petrol and diesel cars.

The 20% of people who can afford to buy a new car have six years until they have a choice between a fully electric vehicle and hybrid which can be filled up with petrol.

“These measures will add to the cost of living for those struggling, not make things easier”, argues Peter Chalkley, a director of the ECIU.