Unequal Ministerial access: how industry crowded out NGOs on UK EV policy

Since entering government, Labour ministers have granted overwhelming access to industry lobbyists while largely sidelining civil society voices - particularly on one of the government’s most contested policies: the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate.

Of 35 bilateral meetings explicitly focused on the ZEV Mandate, only 1 involved an environmental NGO -a meeting held by DfT minister Lilian Greenwood. No such meetings were held by DESNZ or DBT ministers, nor by senior figures including Heidi Alexander, Peter Kyle, or Louise Haigh.

To delve further we can show that major automotive players appear to have had sustained and repeated access. Nissan met ministers or officials 24 times, Jaguar Land Rover 29 times, Stellantis 16, Ford 13 times, alongside 27 meetings with the industry’s main trade body, the SMMT.

There were 36 bilateral meetings with carmakers between January and April 2025, the period leading directly up to the consultation on changes to the ZEV mandate which resulted in significant flexibilities being introduced. That compares to just 13 meetings in the latter half of 2024.

The timing of this access raises important questions. Lobbying by the car industry intensified sharply in early 2025, coinciding with internal government announcements this week over weakening the ZEV mandate’s targets.

“The data points to a clear imbalance: access has overwhelmingly favoured carmakers. At a pivotal moment for the UK’s climate and automotive industry, NGOs -including T&E UK- were repeatedly shut out of ministerial discussions on key issues. That raises serious questions about whose interests shaped the government’s decision to weaken the ZEV mandate, one of its flagship decarbonisation policies and what is driving the latest u turn on policy.” Anna Krajinska, T&E UK Director said.

The Government has a simple choice: back British manufacturing, lower driving costs and the clean transition, or hand the future to those who want Britain to follow, not lead.

Our full report 'Missed destination, heavy delays: Fact checking SMMTs claims on EVs' is available to download.