Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has restated the UK’s commitment to achieving its net zero carbon emissions goal but expressed a desire to avoid what he termed “hair shirt” policies that could adversely affect British consumers.

Speaking during the G20 summit in India, Prime Minister Sunak highlighted the potential benefits of pursuing net zero targets in a manner that supports job creation.

Mr Sunak said: “The net zero story for me shouldn’t be a hair shirt story of giving everything up and your bills going up. That’s not the vision of net zero that I think is the right one for the UK.”

The Prime Minister stressed that the narrative around net zero should not revolve around significant sacrifices and increased bills for consumers.

Instead, Mr Sunak proposed a vision where the transition to net zero is conducted in a way that balances environmental goals with economic stability.