Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of Britain was preparing on Wednesday to weaken key targets in the country’s efforts to slow climate change in what could be a critical policy shift for a nation that has claimed to lead the world in the fight against global warming. His statement did not deny speculation that he was planning seven new measures for Britain, including delaying a ban on the sale of new gas- and diesel-only cars to 2035 rather than 2030, and weakening targets to phase out gas boilers. He promised to more fully address the matter in a speech later this week, which was later brought forward to Wednesday afternoon. Mr. Sunak must call a general election by January 2025, and his Conservative Party is trailing the opposition Labour Party in opinion polls at a time of sluggish economic growth and high inflation. But in July, the Conservatives won a surprise victory in a parliamentary election in northwest London when they campaigned against moves by the city’s Labour mayor to expand an air-quality initiative that charges drivers of older, more polluting vehicles.

---

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak Organizations: BBC News, Conservative Party, Labour Party, Conservatives, city’s Labour Locations: Britain, London