Institute response to Government U-turn on the phase-out of petrol and diesel vehicles

Bob Ward, policy and communications director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science, said: “The Government’s U-turn on the phase-out of petrol and diesel vehicles is extremely disappointing and a further sign of the muddle it is now in. 

“The Government would have been better to reinforce its commitment to the 2030 phase-out date in the face of greater uncertainty in the global economy as a result of President Trump’s chaotic tariffs. Instead, this U-turn will create further uncertainty for car manufacturers and investors. Unfortunately, Keir Starmer has now aligned himself with Rishi Sunak as a Prime Minister who appears to lack clarity and coherence about the transition away from fossil fuels, undermining the confidence of investors on whom growth in the UK economy depends.”