{"id":273158,"date":"2023-08-13T10:41:57","date_gmt":"2023-08-13T08:41:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=273158"},"modified":"2023-08-13T10:42:11","modified_gmt":"2023-08-13T08:42:11","slug":"the-tories-are-trapped-by-net-zero-legislation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=273158","title":{"rendered":"The Tories are trapped by net zero\u00a0legislation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Paul Homewood<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Government is\u00a0<\/em>facing an uprising<\/em><\/a>\u00a0in its own Tory heartlands against a key element of its net zero climate policy. From 2026, it will be illegal to buy a new oil boiler, and households will be encouraged to switch to heat pumps. This is especially problematic in rural areas that are off the main electricity and gas networks. Old boilers needing to be replaced will be prohibited.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a straightforward libertarian argument to make: why is it the business of the state to decide how we heat our homes? Arguably, that pass was sold decades ago when smokeless fuel became compulsory in cities and the use of coal was restricted under the 1956 Clean Air Act.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there was little cost to that switch, just a different fuel to be burned. People needing to replace their boilers may have to\u00a0<\/em>spend substantially more<\/em><\/a>\u00a0on heat pumps unless their price comes down. Has the Government made any calculations on the financial impact this move will have with less than three years to go?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A revolt is growing among Tory MPs representing many of the 1.7 million mostly rural households that are not connected to the grid and might be affected. More than 30 have written to the Prime Minister to raise the issue amid concern it could disproportionately affect Conservative areas. George Eustice, a former environment secretary, says that, instead of banning the boilers, owners could be encouraged to use environmentally friendly fuel.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The dilemma facing ministers is that they are bound by statute to meet certain carbon reduction targets and are searching around for ways to do so. The Climate Change Act requires the Government to set out a programme to reach legally binding objectives, which has led to a series of target dates being set for removing carbon-emitting products such as petrol cars.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If Tory MPs want the Government to push the deadline for boilers back or abandon the prohibition altogether, then ministers could be obliged to find the carbon savings elsewhere. The only answer would be to amend or repeal the legislation, and yet when it was passed by Labour in 2008 just five MPs voted against.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When in 2019, Theresa May, in one of her final acts as prime minister, made 2050 a legally binding net zero target, few objected and the ambition was reaffirmed in the Tory election manifesto. Now the MPs need to explain the costs of their decisions to their constituents.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Government is\u00a0<\/em>facing an uprising<\/em><\/a>\u00a0in its own Tory heartlands against a key element of its net zero climate policy. From 2026, it will be illegal to buy a new oil boiler, and households will be encouraged to switch to heat pumps. This is especially problematic in rural areas that are off the main electricity and gas networks. Old boilers needing to be replaced will be prohibited.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a straightforward libertarian argument to make: why is it the business of the state to decide how we heat our homes? Arguably, that pass was sold decades ago when smokeless fuel became compulsory in cities and the use of coal was restricted under the 1956 Clean Air Act.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there was little cost to that switch, just a different fuel to be burned. People needing to replace their boilers may have to\u00a0<\/em>spend substantially more<\/em><\/a>\u00a0on heat pumps unless their price comes down. Has the Government made any calculations on the financial impact this move will have with less than three years to go?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A revolt is growing among Tory MPs representing many of the 1.7 million mostly rural households that are not connected to the grid and might be affected. More than 30 have written to the Prime Minister to raise the issue amid concern it could disproportionately affect Conservative areas. George Eustice, a former environment secretary, says that, instead of banning the boilers, owners could be encouraged to use environmentally friendly fuel.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The dilemma facing ministers is that they are bound by statute to meet certain carbon reduction targets and are searching around for ways to do so. The Climate Change Act requires the Government to set out a programme to reach legally binding objectives, which has led to a series of target dates being set for removing carbon-emitting products such as petrol cars.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If Tory MPs want the Government to push the deadline for boilers back or abandon the prohibition altogether, then ministers could be obliged to find the carbon savings elsewhere. The only answer would be to amend or repeal the legislation, and yet when it was passed by Labour in 2008 just five MPs voted against.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When in 2019, Theresa May, in one of her final acts as prime minister, made 2050 a legally binding net zero target, few objected and the ambition was reaffirmed in the Tory election manifesto. Now the MPs need to explain the costs of their decisions to their constituents.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Government is\u00a0facing an uprising\u00a0in its own Tory heartlands against a key element of its net zero climate policy. From 2026, it will be illegal to buy a new oil boiler, and households will be encouraged to switch to heat pumps. This is especially problematic in rural areas that are off the main electricity and gas networks. Old boilers needing to be replaced will be prohibited.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":273163,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691818076,691818154,691821805,691821804,691821803],"class_list":{"0":"post-273158","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-co2","9":"tag-net-zero","10":"tag-oil-boilers","11":"tag-prime-minister","12":"tag-the-tories","14":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0co2-6317012_1920-1536x1024-1.jpg?fit=1536%2C1024&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-193M","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":362470,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=362470","url_meta":{"origin":273158,"position":0},"title":"Heat 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