Zero-emission car targets could spark job losses, government claims

Business secretary Kemi Badenoch has claimed that ‘green’ zero-emission car targets on vehicle production could lead to job losses and hamper investment in the UK.

Discussing the introduction of a forthcoming rule that will require car manufacturers to ensure at least 22% of new sales in the UK are emissions-free models, rising to 80% by 2030, Badenoch said car producers were concerned.

A spokesperson for Badenoch told political website Politico that “if major companies employing thousands of people are saying that there’s a problem, then it’s her job to look at ways to ease that problem”.

A number of manufacturers have expressed that the targets for producing zero-emission cars will be challenging to meet, including Ford, which said the rule posed a “threat” to business and investment plans.

Honda and Toyota have also raised concerns and have asked for the targets to be refined.

After 2030, there will be a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars. Manufacturers will be fined £15,000 for every polluting car sold over the new sales limits before 2030.

Prime minister Rishi Sunak has also recently announced he will review “anti-car schemes” across the country, such as low traffic neighbourhoods and the extension of London’s ULEZ low-emission zone.

A Department for Transport (DfT) spokesperson told Politico that the government is committed to its existing EV strategy, but that reaching the 2030 target had to be achieved “sensibly.”

“We remain committed to phasing out new petrol and diesel cars by 2030,” they said, adding that this “provides certainty to industry and puts us ahead of our European counterparts.”

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In 2020, then prime minister Boris Johnson announced a ten-point plan for a “green revolution” that would create 250,000 jobs, including in the electric car industry, but the plans have met with challenges due to lack of skills and infrastructure.

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