UK political parties concerned about green policies after special election verdict

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Environmentalists on Sunday warned Britain's main political parties not to water down their climate change pledges after a special election result widely seen as voters' refusal to impose a tax on polluting cars.

The ruling Conservatives suffered two heavy defeats in a trio of by-elections for House of Commons seats on Thursday. But they managed to win the third contest, for a suburban London neighborhood, focusing on a divisive green levy imposed by the Labor Mayor of London.

The Ultra Low Emission Zone, or ULEZ, charges drivers of older petrol and diesel vehicles £12.50 ($16) a day to travel around the city. The charge was announced by then-Mayor Boris Johnson, a Tory, in 2015 and came into effect for central London in 2019. Mayor Sadiq Khan plans to extend it next month to the city's less densely populated suburbs, where more people rely on cars to get around. there is no doubt that ULEZ was the reason we lost the election in Uxbridge,” he said.

But naturalist Chris Packham said Labor should not abandon green policies for electoral gain.

“Do you want to protect humanity and the rest of life on Earth, or is this just about you taking office? They must stick to their weapons here, "he told Times Radio.

the mayor says that policy has already reduced air pollution in center of London and will only affect one in 10 car in areas like UXBRIDGE.

United Kingdom emissions with greenhouse effects fell 46 % compared to the levels of 1990, mainly due to the almost complete elimination of coal. electricity production. The government had pledged to cut emissions by 68% below 1990 levels by 2030, ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in the same year and achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

But just seven years away from the first target, the government's climate advisers said last month that the pace of action was "worryingly slow".

Cer ome members of the ruling Conservative Party want to slow down even more. A group of right-wing conservative lawmakers, the Net Zero Scrutiny Group, has said the ban date on new gas-powered vehicles should be pushed back to...