BACON sarnies were declared safe last night as No10 slapped down eco zealots telling Brits to cut down on meat.
Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesman rebuked suggestions from the government’s climate advisers to eat more beans and grains instead.
Brits will not be told to cut down on meat, the PM says[/caption]
Sir Keir Starmer has slapped down the climate body’s proposals[/caption]
Downing Street also distanced itself from proposals for more taxes on flying – insisting its green transition will “tread lightly on people’s lives”.
It came after the Climate Change Committee laid out a route to Net Zero that involved slashing the amount of meat and dairy from diets.
It said: “Meat products will be mainly replaced by existing alternative protein products, some plant-based whole foods and, in the later years, novel alternative proteins.”
Asked if Sir Keir Starmer expected the public to reduce their meat intake, his spokesman said: “No. We’re not going to tell people what they do.
“We’ve set out our targets, we’ve set out ambitious targets, but we’re not going to start telling people how to live their lives.
“The government will obviously set government policy on its own pathway to achieve the next carbon budget, and will do so in a way that ensures it delivers energy security, protects bill-payers and creates good jobs.”
The Countryside Alliance’s Mo Metcalf-Fisher said: “The public won’t swallow diktacts to go vegan. And they don’t need to.
“British meat and dairy is among the most sustainable in the world thanks to our farmers. It’s important the Government backs them to the hilt”.
Sir Keir’s spokesman also appeared to back away from a “frequent flyers” levy that would sting people who use planes a lot.
He said: “The Prime Minister has been very clear, we will meet Net Zero in a way that treads lightly on people’s lives.”
The CCC report put the pricetag of Net Zero at £5billion a year for the next 25 years – around 0.2 per cent of total GDP.
It says home heating costs will only be cheaper with significant government help to cushion the blow of switching from boilers to heat pumps.
Its report says: “Depending on the level of policy support, a typical household will experience somewhere between £100 in savings to £150 in additional costs per year, on average, from 2025 to 2050.”
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband previously said his eco dash will knock £300 off bills.
