Greenpeace reaction to Labour’s 2030 petrol and diesel announcement

In response to shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds’ speech at the Labour Party conference, Greenpeace UK’s policy director, Doug Parr, said:

“There’s renewed hope for car and large-scale battery manufacturing in the UK, as well as meeting our climate targets, with Labour’s promise to reinstate the 2030 phase out of new petrol and diesel vehicles.

“Sunak’s kamikaze decision to push the date back signalled that the UK wasn’t serious about its legally-binding carbon commitments, or its promises to businesses that had already largely embraced the transition to electric vehicles, and invested billions as a result. This is why the push back from car makers was so fierce, and our international credibility on net zero had all but disappeared in a puff of exhaust fumes.

“Labour must now also come forward with a clear strategy to ramp up charging infrastructure to give consumers confidence, and ensure the transition to electric vehicles is as seamless as possible.”