Some of Britain’s top entrepreneurs have told the Guardian that the plans have caused uncertainty for business, reduced the country’s international standing and punished investors who made early decisions on net zero based on the original timeline.to criticise plans by Miliband, the then Labour leader, to scrap zero-hours contracts and reverse a cut to corporation tax.
She added: “It erodes both consumer and business confidence, and abrupt reversals of policy direction are rarely well-received. All businesses seek stability and predictability from the government, especially when substantial changes are on the horizon that will impact their operations. The 2030 deadline set by Boris Johnson undeniably had a significant influence on the strategies of automotive companies. These firms I’m sure made significant strategy decisions as a result of that announcement.
Nick Jenkins, the founder of the greetings card company Moonpig and a Dragon on Dragon’s Den, said: “I was disappointed that the government chose to push back the deadlines. The shift away from fossil fuels requires long term planning and certainty. It is unhelpful when deadlines are changed. Jenkins said the rhetoric around costs to families was flawed, as the expense of not acting on the environment would prove far greater.
Some said Sunak’s comments were unhelpful and position him way behind the business community, many members of which view net zero as a growth opportunity rather than a cost.