(UPDATE) LONDON: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has backed plans to permit new fossil fuel exploration off Britain's coast, as he pledged to be "pragmatic and proportionate" about achieving net zero in an interview published on Saturday. NEW VENTURE Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (center) speaks with Barratt Homes employees during a visit to Hayes Village, a new housing development under construction by Barratt Homes on a brownfield site, in London, on Thursday, July 27, 2023. Sunak, who became leader last October, said his approach was "to support the UK's energy industry" and appeared to suggest that not exploiting new UK oil and gas reserves risked "the lights going out" in Britain. The moves follow the Conservatives defying dismal national poll ratings to narrowly retain former prime minister Boris Johnson's vacated northwest London seat in a parliamentary by-election last week. In the interview, Sunak, who has been criticized for his frequent use of helicopters and planes to travel around Britain, insisted he wants to "leave the environment and our climate in a better state."

Source: Manila Times July 31, 2023 04:29 UTC