There is a mass of ice five times the size of the UK missing from the Antarctic. In Greece, 17 people were killed as a result of intense rainfall in the first week of September as extreme weather conditions take hold of the Mediterranean. New research shows that Europe's bird population has declined by half a billion over the past 40 years.

It is hardly time to take our eyes off the ball when it comes to climate change. With every year, the pressure mounts to cut emissions and do what we can to prevent global warming from escalating further.

Hence the surprise when UK prime minister Rishi Sunak announced a spateA series of things in quick succession. of policies this week that will threaten the UK's commitment to reaching net zeroWhen the gases going into the atmosphere are balanced by those being taken out of it. emissions by 2050.

The measures include delays to the ban on new petrol and diesel cars, which was set to come into place in 2030. Sunak also got rid of tougher efficiency rules for landlords and established a nine-year delay in the ban on new fossil fuel heating for off-gas-grid homes.

The announcement inspired fury and bafflement in equal measure. Former Conservative minister Zac Goldsmith called the move "reprehensibleDisgraceful. Deserving of criticism. ", whilst former PM Boris Johnson warned that Britain "cannot afford to falter now or in any way lose our ambition for this country".

One hundred and forty countries have pledged to reach net zero, many of them by 2050. This should cover around 90% of global emissions. To follow the Paris AgreementAn agreement signed by 196 countries to try to limit global warming., the UK needs to reduce its emissions by 68% compared to 1990. But whilst promises abound, practicable pro-climate policies are harder to come by.

Sunak has posed the U-turns as a move on behalf of the everyman, ensuring that climate targets do not bankrupt struggling families. But many point out that the measures will not cut costs for consumers. An analysis by the ECIUEnergy and Climate Intelligence Unit. A non-profit based in the UK. found that the announcements could cost British households almost £8bn pounds in additional bills over the next decade, as well as carrying an environmental cost.

GDPShort for Gross Domestic Product, the measure of all the goods and services produced inside a country. may suffer too. Reaching net zero by 2050 could cost as much as £50bn per year, but delaying the investments will hike up costs even further, and will leave us with outdated, less efficient technologies at our disposal.

Some think Sunak is justified in suggesting that the rules might be unfair. Some of the biggest emitters worldwide have hardly inched towards their net zero targets, including India and Russia, which had set deadlines of 2070 and 2060 respectively. Why should British consumers pay the cost?

But others point out the successes of other leading emitters such as the EU's recent huge green investment package and the US's game-changing investment in renewables and clean technologies. When we behave as a team to reduce emissions, we secure a future on this planet together.

Some claim that Sunak's policies are only a reflection of the British public's myopicShort-sighted. attitude to the economy and climate change. They think that Brits would rather seek economic gain in the short term than guarantee sustainability in the long term.

Sunak would not risk announcing such measures if polling did not suggest that they would be popular. After all, the Tories are inching towards next year's election with starkly reduced popularity ratings as they risk possible defeat by Labour in the polls. Does it all come down to us?

Yes: The fact that Rishi Sunak is certain that these policies will be popular suggests that there is a broader public impatience towards pro-climate measures. We are in an economic pinch, and people are looking to fulfil their short-term interests.

No: These measures have even embroiled the Conservative party in a civil war. They are being described as the "greatest mistake" of Sunak's tenure. It is clear that they do not have widespread appeal.

Or... Reaching net zero does not just rely on policies conceived by the government. It also relies on our everyday choices when it comes to transport, diet and waste. We cannot expect the government to force us to make good choices.