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# Lichfield councillor says people are “being led up the garden path” by calls for carbon net zero
- URL: https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/lichfield-councillor-says-people-are-being-led-up-the-garden-path-by-calls-for-carbon-net-zero/
- Published: 2023-03-01T17:03:05.000Z
- Updated: 2023-03-01T17:03:15.000Z
- Description: A councillor says people are “being led up the garden path” on the need to go carbon net zero.
- Author: Lichfield Live
- Tags: Armitage, Environment, Politics, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-07-22 19:07, News

A councillor says people are “being led up the garden path” on the need to go carbon net zero.

Cllr Thomas Marshall, Conservative member for Armitage with Handsacre, made his comments at a meeting of Lichfield District Council yesterday (28th February).

Members of the council had been discussing plan changes to payments for council officials using their own cars as part of their jobs.

But after questions were asked about whether efforts could be made to promote usage of electric vehicles in light of the climate change emergency declaration which has previously been made by the local authority, Cllr Marshall told members they should not do so “just because Greta Thunberg says we should”.

> “Not everybody subscribes to the carbon net zero narrative.  
>  
> “I may be singling myself out as a heretic, but lots of reports have suggested petrol cars are just as good for the environment as electric cars. The mining necessary for electric cars is shown to be extremely detrimental to the environment.  
>  
> “It’s also now come to light that electric cars, because they are much much heavier than petrol or diesel, use their tyres up much more quickly. I can attest to that as for the last 18 months I’ve driven electric and it absolutely eats tyres.  
>  
> “We should not just assume that because Greta Thunberg says we should all be driving electric cars that that is necessarily the case.  
>  
> “I do think we are being led up the garden path by this Government and others. Carbon net zero is incorrect and it needs to be totally reassessed. The point about electric vehicles is misguided and we need to take a nuanced approach to this.  
>  
> “If it wasn’t for the tax breaks I enjoy as a company car driver \[with an electric vehicle\] I would still be driving a diesel car.”  
>  
> Cllr Thomas Marshall, Lichfield District Council

Cllr Dave Robertson, Curborough ward representative, told the meeting he “could not believe” such comments were being made after his Labour colleague Cllr Colin Ball had initially raised the need to consider electric vehicles in order to meet the climate change emergency aims.

> “Cllr Ball is right to raise this. There is significant mitigation needed to make sure we have a planet support human life.  
>  
> “I can’t believe we’re having to have this discussion.  
>  
> “We may be able to encourage people out of polluting cars that will kill the planet – that is a statement of fact.”  
>  
> Cllr Dave Robertson, Lichfield District Council