UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s announcement of a delay to the phasing out of petrol-driven vehicles has been criticised by a committee of lawmakers in the House of Commons, who called the move “disappointing”.Philip Dunne, chair of the Parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee, wrote a lengthy letter to Sunak on Monday, saying: “The transition to net zero is one of the greatest challenges facing the UK. The decision to delay some targets, such as the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, is disappointing,” Xinhua news agency reported.

In a recent keynote speech, Sunak announced his plan to change the deadline for the phasing out of petrol and diesel-fueled vehicles from 2030 to 2035.