Plan to phase out new gas boilers by 2035 does not go far enough, climate campaigners warn

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Climate change campaigners have warned that government plans to phase out gas boilers are not ambitious enough to deliver on UK commitments to cut carbon emissions. Long-heralded plans to end the sale of new gas boilers by 2035 are set to be confirmed when Boris Johnson launches strategies for net-zero emissions and heat and buildings at the start of next week, just a fortnight before he chairs the United Nations COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow. “If we are going to get ahead on climate change, we have to upgrade and update home heating and switch to heat pumps which are a smart and simple tech - a bit like a reverse fridge because they take heat naturally stored in the air or ground, compress it and pump it into homes.” He added: “This scheme has huge potential but only if accompanied by grants for home insulation, and a training programme to skill-up thousands of young people to be heat pump engineers. The climate friendly jobs aspect of a massive programme to replaces boilers that burn gas means it’s well worth government investing properly now.” Despite widespread support for measures to combat climate change, recent surveys suggest that as few as 6 per cent of consumers have installed low-carbon central heating systems - such as pumps, hydrogen-fuelled boilers and heating networks - in their homes.