Michael Gove has insisted the government needs to “maintain momentum towards net zero” after Rishi Sunak announced a delay on banning petrol and diesel cars. The levelling up secretary said, “when the facts change, you have to change your mind.”
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NewsTranscript
00:00 Well, when the facts change, you have to change your mind.
00:02 And of course, it's the case that the war in Ukraine
00:06 has shown the vital importance of making sure
00:08 that we develop a plan for energy security.
00:11 And that's what we outlined yesterday with changes
00:13 in order to ensure that we moved ahead with more nuclear,
00:16 that we moved ahead with onshore wind,
00:17 and that we moved ahead with reforms to the grid.
00:20 But it is also the case, as well as energy security,
00:23 we need to maintain momentum towards net zero,
00:26 but in a way that doesn't harm economic growth
00:28 and that continues to take the public with us.
00:30 We've seen in Europe how there's been a revolt against measures
00:33 to tackle climate change because too much has been asked,
00:36 in particular, of the poorest in society.
00:39 So I think the prime minister is absolutely right
00:41 to strengthen our position on energy security
00:44 and, at the same time, to recommit us to a rational path
00:47 towards net zero.
00:48 But things that you say are removable
00:49 have turned out not to be.
00:50 Well, again, the facts have changed.
00:53 We've all had to take account of the fact
00:55 that the energy security situation that we all face
00:59 requires additional investment in the grid,
01:01 additional investment in onshore wind,
01:03 additional investment in nuclear.
01:05 But it also requires us to make sure
01:07 that when we're tackling climate change,
01:09 we do so in a way that doesn't put more pressure on people
01:12 who are already feeling the pinch
01:14 during a cost-of-living challenge.