Tory conference chooses culture wars over coherent policies for environment

Thérèse Coffey, the environment secretary, praised Rishi Sunak’s decision to roll back on net zero. Photograph: Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images

What does Rishi Sunak mean exactly when he says he will challenge the status quo and take “a new approach to net zero”? His headline speech to the Tory party conference spoke about the sense of responsibility that his party feels for the environment.

But simultaneously he is arguing that his policies will end a (make-believe) war on motorists.