UK tech sector 'let down' and 'betrayed' over Rishi Sunak's net-zero policy tweaks

Several members of the UK tech industry have confessed to feeling “let down and betrayed” by prime minister Rishi Sunak’s “watering down” of several of the government’s net-zero policies, after spending years tailoring their investment priorities in support of Westminster’s green agenda.

As previously reported by Computer Weekly, Sunak held a press conference on Wednesday 20 September, following a full-day of speculation about his plans to revise a number of government initiatives designed to support the development of a net-zero economy in the UK by 2050.

The changes include pushing back the start date for the UK government’s ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 to 2035, tweaking a pledge to phase out the use of gas boilers by 2035, and abandoning plans to overhaul the UK’s waste recycling processes.

Sunak described the changes during his address as being a “more pragmatic, proportionate and realistic approach” to meeting the UK’s net-zero goal that will “ease the burdens on working people”. But, even before the press conference, his proposals came under fire from TechUK.

The technology trade body’s CEO Julian David said “weakening” the government’s targets risks sending the “wrong signals” to investors and could “turn heads towards countries with more stable regulatory environments”, adding: “It places the UK’s prospects as a clean tech leader at serious risk.”

In the days that followed, other members of the UK IT industry and other tech-adjacent sectors have openly criticised Sunak’s plans, including David Savage, vice-president of UK and Ireland at fleet telematics hardware manufacturer Geotab.

The motoring and transportation industry has been making a concerted, multi-year effort, backed by millions of pounds of investment, to do what it can to meet the government’s targets around the transition to lower-carbon emitting vehicles, for example.

But, with one speech and a couple of policy tweaks, those actions and that work feel devalued in the eyes of industry leaders, said Savage.

“All of us in the transportation industry have been investing heavily in this transition, from vehicle manufacturers to fleet operators, and infrastructure providers alike. Many of these stakeholders will be feeling let down and betrayed by the government,” he said.

“We need to be investing more in this transition, not reversing it. Not only to stimulate the UK’s position in this emerging sector, but also to build a sustainable future for us all.

“The government has already walked back various incentives for zero-emission vehicles – and despite the prime minister’s claim that the long-term interests of our country must come before ‘short-term political needs’, climate change is simply not going to wait.”

Diane Gilpin, founder and CEO of Smart Green Shipping, a firm that specialises in building and financing autonomous wind technologies for the shipping industry, was equally scathing about the government’s weakening net-zero position.

Specifically, she slammed Sunak for using the downbeat economic climate and the toll the ongoing cost of living crisis is having on the population as justification for rolling back the government’s net-zero policies.

“While the economic climate means there are tough decisions to be made, slowing down the net-zero transition is a poor economic response to address the climate emergency…We can’t build a robust and resilient economy if we ignore the climate crisis,” she said.

Instead, she implored the government to look to other countries for inspiration and examples of how they are mapping economic growth to tackling climate change.

“The Scottish government and other countries across Europe and further afield are setting an example of what good climate policies look like – Westminster should take note.”

Despite [Sunak’s] claim that the long-term interests of our country must come before ‘short-term political needs’, climate change is simply not going to wait