A general election is fast approaching in the United Kingdom, and the results will shape the nation’s sustainability goals
The Conservative Party has been in power for 14 years, a period of time which covers a significant proportion of the emobility transition in the UK. Now, with polls indicating that a Labour Party majority is more likely than not, eyes are turning to what Sir Keir Starmer’s vision for the decarbonisation of the UK could look like.
With the first televised leaders debate tonight between Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer, ElectricDrives unpacks what we could expect from this evening’s debate from a sustainability and emobility perspective.
£28 billion
We should start by addressing the elephant in the room. In 2021, one of Labour’s headline policies was to set aside an astonishing £28 billion per year to spend on achieving the nation’s net-zero goals.
Back in February, the party backtracked on this pledge, promising new initiatives and investments to take its place. Should Labour form the next government, the yearly expenditure for net-zero is expected to sit at around £5 billion.
Home insulation was hit hard by this rollback. The projected £6 billion a year diminished to £1.3 billion a year over a decade. That means far fewer homes will receive help with their insulation than expected.
This U-turn is likely to form a major part of Sunak’s attacks throughout the debate. The natural response may be to call out the Conservative leader’s decision to delay the full roll-out of EVs and heat pumps from 2030 to 2035. We’ll get onto that later.
Clean Energy
Starmer has been critical of Sunak’s management of the nation’s energy security, particularly amid concerns over soaring fossil fuel prices. Starmer pledges a shift towards reducing household energy bills and lessening the country’s reliance on imported fossil fuels. As such, Labour’s 2023 ‘Clean Power by 2030’ initiative involves trebling the UK’s solar and wind energy output in the next 6 years.
Central to Labour’s strategy is the establishment of Great British Energy. This will be a publicly-owned company aimed at accelerating the development of domestic clean energy sources. This will kick off with a proposed £8.3 billion investment.
Labour has openly criticised the Conservative Party’s policies that have hindered the UK’s transition away from fossil fuels. This includes restrictions on onshore wind farms and cuts to home energy efficiency programs. This scrutiny comes amidst assertions from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that the UK’s heavy dependence on fossil gas for heating and inadequately insulated housing exacerbates vulnerabilities to energy price shocks.
Heat Pumps
Back in March, the Conservatives laid what has been dubbed a ‘post-election trap’ by some. The Clean Heat Market Mechanism, or ‘boiler tax’, means manufacturers would have to match or substitute 4% of their boiler sales with heat pumps. That’s topped with a £3,000 fine for each missed installation.
Earlier this year, the Conservatives postponed the boiler tax, from the 1st of April 2024, until next year. It’s generally expected that, if in government, the Labour Party would look to reverse that delay.
Meanwhile, the Conservatives have the advantage of active government behind them. The ongoing Boiler Upgrade Scheme has invested more than £148 million in over 25,000 heat pump grants in the last two years. However, with a target of more than 600,000 heat pump installations a year by 2028, it’s clear more needs to be done.
While heat pumps did garner a mention in Labour’s 2019 manifesto, that was a long time ago. The party has been largely quiet on the matter since, except to say it backs the boiler tax. The upcoming manifesto is expected to outline a strategic rollout plan.
Visit the Heat Pump Summit website to get involved in the nation’s home energy transition.
Electric Vehicles
Labour’s Shadow Minister for Roads, Bill Esterson, is focused on reinstating the 2030 ban on internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle sales in the UK. Esterson argues that this move would provide a clear trajectory for investors while stimulating consumer confidence.
The Conservative’s stance is that the delay will ease the transition for consumers, allowing to make the switch when they feel ready. Many emobility industry leaders have come out against this stance. They argue that the delay made the UK a far less ‘investable’ prospect in the emobility world, and that fluid deadlines will ruin consumer trust.
Labour’s proposed legislation mandates that by 2030, 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans sold in the UK must be zero-emission vehicles. This will lead to a full transition to 100% by 2035. Labour has also been clear on the importance of fleet sales in this endeavour. However, an emphasis has been placed on increasing private adoption and the increasing growth of the UK’s second-hand EV market. This is leading to a plethora of more affordable EV options for consumers.
We’re expecting much more information from both parties with the impending release of their manifestos. Topics such as EV adoption plans, and heat pump rollouts should be covered in far greater detail. We need to see an emphasis on EV incentives and each party’s plans to assist with charging infrastructure rollout.
Of course, these topics are just some areas we can expect to be covered in tonight’s debate. Crucially, they’re areas about which the entire industry, and any sustainability-minded Brit, are keen to hear details. We will continue to follow each major party’s environmental stances in the run-up to the election.
Watch tonight’s debate between Rishi Sunak, and Keir Starmer, tonight (4th June), on ITV1.
