Whilst researching my latest ‘Has Net Zero had it’s day?’ Substack newsletter, this cartoon was inspired by the growing realisation that if UK climate policy were a carnival game, it’d be whack-a-mole.
Every time a new plan pops up — bam! — someone’s there with a mallet.
This visual explainer tracks some of the UK’s recent U-turns and the headaches they will cause — not just to the environment, but to investment, energy security and public trust.
1. Petrol and diesel phase-out delayed
Mole: Ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030
Whacked: Delayed to 2035, aligning with EU (announced Sept 2023)
Headache caused:
Signals uncertainty to investors and delays job creation in the UK auto sector.
Drivers face mixed messages on EV infrastructure and resale values. Meanwhile, overseas competitors are surging ahead on EV production, leaving the UK at risk of losing both economic ground and export markets.
2. Ban on new gas boilers scrapped
Mole: Ban on new gas boilers in homes by 2035
Whacked: Plan quietly dropped in early 2025
Headache caused:
Keeps households reliant on unstable global gas supplies. As conflicts and geopolitical tensions drive up energy prices, this decision leaves families exposed to repeated bill shocks and undermines long-term energy security.
3. Green investment budget cuts
Mole: £28bn annual green investment pledge from Labour
Whacked: Scaled back to a lower, unspecified figure citing fiscal responsibility (2024)
Headache caused:
Undermines economic transformation plans and limits local job creation. The UK risks falling behind in the global race for clean energy investment, supply chain growth and infrastructure modernisation.
4. 100% clean power by 2030 softened
Mole: Labour pledge for 100% clean electricity by 2030
Whacked: Watered down to "at least 95%" with a backup gas reserve
Headache caused:
Reduces the ambition of UK energy planning at a time of rising demand. The more we rely on gas, the more exposed we are to global market shocks—just as AI, EVs and electrification increase electricity needs.
5. Green taxonomy scrapped
Mole: A government classification system to identify environmentally sustainable investments
Whacked: Quietly abandoned in summer 2025
Headache caused:
Invites greenwashing and investor confusion. Without a clear taxonomy, both businesses and financial institutions lose the guardrails they need to scale credible green finance.
6. Post-Brexit environmental protections weakened
Mole: EU-level protections for clean air, water, habitats, and chemicals
Whacked: Diluted in post-Brexit deregulation; UK now lags behind EU
Headache caused:
Weakens public health safeguards and undermines the UK’s ability to trade with green markets. Businesses exporting to the EU may now face additional checks, whilst UK residents face reduced protections.
The moles are fighting back!
Courts are now holding governments and fossil fuel players to account.
As of 2024–2025, floodgates of climate litigation have opened: global cases against polluters surged, fossil fuel subsidies were flagged in legal briefs and the UN’s top court just ruled countries must limit fossil fuel production or risk reparations.