Net zero: Rishi Sunak announces plans to delay petrol and diesel car ban
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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pushed back a plan to ban selling new petrol and diesel cars.
The original plan was that people wouldn't be allowed to buy new petrol and diesel cars from 2030, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. This has now been pushed back to 2035.
This was all a part of a big announcement about net zero, and Rishi Sunak has made some other changes to the UK's climate change plan as well.
Unsure about what all the words mean? You can find a climate change term-buster further down the page.
When we burn fossil fuels, like coal, oil and gas, they release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
You can become net zero by taking out as many greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere that you put in.
This can be done by reducing how much carbon dioxide goes into the atmosphere, or by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
What has been announced?
The Prime Minister says he wants to slow down the move into using electric vehicles
Rishi Sunak's original plan was to ban people from buying petrol and diesel cars from 2030. This is because cars powered by petrol and diesel emit carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas.
This ban is now going to be pushed back until 2035. He said that by 2030, lots of people will be using electric cars anyway as technology gets better.
He has also said people will have more time to change over to using heat pumps to keep their homes warm. Heat pumps are an extremely energy efficient way to create heat, but Rishi Sunak says they can be quite expensive to install.
This is a heat pump - it's used instead of a boiler to keep your home warm
Also, the Prime Minister says that there won't be a ban on drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea.
Oil and gas are fossil fuels, and when burned they release greenhouse gasses, which contribute to global warming.
Greenhouse Gasses - Gasses that trap heat in the atmosphere
Atmosphere - The layer of gasses around earth
Carbon dioxide (CO2) - A type of greenhouse gas, released by burning coal, oil, or gas
Global warming - Caused by greenhouse not allowing heat to escape.
Climate Change - The result of global warming. As the earth heats up we are more exposed to extreme weather conditions such as storms and heatwaves
What does this mean?
Rishi Sunak held a special press conference, where he explained the new plans in front of journalists
This latest announcement is a change to what Rishi Sunak has said about the UK's green plans in the past.
He has said that the UK will reach net zero by 2050, and that the UK has "overdelivered" on its climate change policies so far.
One way to remove greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere is by planting trees - they absorb carbon dioxide
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had announced a plan for the UK to reach net zero. This was criticised by environmental charities, but Rishi Sunak said people should be "really proud" of how the UK had been reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
He explained that his reason for pushing back some of the original plans was to make things easier for people in the UK.
What have people said?
Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House, has said he thinks Rishi Sunak should have made the announcement in the House of Commons, where all the MPs usually meet to discuss changes.
Rishi Sunak announced the changes in a press conference, in front of journalists.
Some people in Rishi Sunak's political party - the conservatives - have said they don't agree with the Prime Minister's decision. Zac Goldsmith, who used to be the minister for the environment for Rishi Sunak, says there needs to be a general election.
Rishi Sunak's supporters have praised his plans. Suella Braverman, who is in the conservative party and supports Rishi Sunak, says the UK is a "global leader" when it comes to combatting climate change.
I am unequivocal that we will meet our international agreements
- Published29 March 2023
- Published31 March 2023
