Image Source: The Guardian
The European Parliament has agreed on a deadline of 2035 for a complete ban on the sale of gasoline and diesel vehicles in EU countries.
Compared to 2021, MEPs decided to force automakers to reduce average fleet emissions by 15% by 2025, 55% by 2030, and 100% by 2035. The vote upholds a crucial component of the EU’s goals to reduce net global warming emissions by 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels – a target that necessitates speedier reductions in emissions from industry, energy, and transportation.
Conservatives, far-right MEPs, and even a few progressive MEPs voted against setting a greater 2030 goal or higher 2020 targets to encourage automakers to accelerate electric vehicle sales.
According to Transport and Environment, the decision is “a significant step forward for climate action, air quality, and the affordability of electric vehicles.”
Attempts by certain legislators to lower the target to a 90% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2035 were denied. The bill, however, is not yet complete, as today’s vote merely confirms the parliament’s position ahead of future EU member negotiations on the final form.
When EU environment ministers meet on June 28, the Ministry of Transport and Environment has recommended that the effective expiration date for new combustion engine sales be established. Before beginning negotiations with the parliament, environment ministers will decide on their position on vehicle emissions objectives later this month. Then, the final law is expected to be agreed upon in the autumn.
Cars account for 12% of all transportation emissions in Europe. On the other hand, transportation accounts for 65 percent of all oil used in Europe, with practically all imported.
According to Alex Keynes, fossil fuel vehicles will be phased out by 2035, with the last set of fossil fuel vehicles being sold off by the government. He thinks that this gives Europe a fighting chance to avert what looks to be irreversible climate change. Alex, the clean cars manager for Transport and Environment, sees the phase-out of combustion engines as a historic opportunity to help reduce the world’s reliance on oil, “lowering our susceptibility to despots It also gives the car industry the assurance it needs to increase electric vehicle manufacturing, lowering driver pricing.
Environmental ministers are set to step up their efforts in 2035, leaving no place for fragile green alternatives like e-fuels. Allowing synthetic fuels in automobiles would be a wasteful and ineffective distraction from the massive work of cleaning up the transportation system. Electric vehicles offer a more ecologically friendly, cost-effective, and efficient approach to cutting carbon emissions.
