By 2035, new gasoline- and diesel-powered combustion engine automobiles and vans will no longer be sold in the European Union. The agreement is a component of the EU’s “Fit for 55” plan, which aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030.
With the Fit for 55 standards, automakers must cut emissions of newly sold cars by 55% from 2021 levels by 2030. By ceasing to sell new automobiles and vans with combustion engines by 2035, the firms will then need to further cut emissions to zero.
According to a statement from Czech Environment Minister Anna Hubkov, reaching the first agreement on a proposal from the “Fit for 55” package is a powerful indication that the EU is committed to moving forward with the green transition and climate neutrality. Zero-emission transportation will serve as a foundation for slowing down climate change, which has the potential to seriously impact the economy, the environment, migration, and other facets of our society.
A consistent approach for member states to use in evaluating the whole life cycle of emissions from vehicles and vans sold on the EU market, as well as the fuels and energy they use, will also be established as part of the agreement. Manufacturers will be able to voluntarily report the life cycle emissions of new cars to the EU Commission using this methodology.
According to the EU, 15% of all EU carbon emissions are produced by vehicles and vans. According to the report, switching to 55% fewer emissions and ultimately 100% zero emissions will benefit public health, the quality of the air we breathe, the price of electric vehicles, and the number of manufacturing and development jobs.
The arrangement is not without its difficulties, though. For starters, The Associated Press noted that there may not be enough charging stations in the EU to accommodate the anticipated sharp rise in the use of electric vehicles in the upcoming years.
Prior to the UN COP27 Climate Change Conference in November, the announcement was made to demonstrate that the EU is serious about passing real laws to achieve the more ambitious goals outlined in the EU Climate Law.
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According to a recent UNEP analysis, the world is already on course to warm by 2.4 to 2.6 C by 2100, and countries may only be able to keep global warming to 1.5 C with an early, widespread transition away from fossil fuels that reduce emissions by at least 45%.
According to Greenpeace, the ban will go into effect too late to prevent global warming from exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The scenic route taken by the EU results in catastrophe. Lorelei Limousin, a Greenpeace EU transportation campaigner, said in a statement that the 2035 European phase-out of fossil fuel-burning vehicles are too slow and that new automobiles with internal combustion engines should be outlawed by 2028 at the latest.
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The declaration is a prime illustration of how politicians can use a positive headline to distract from the fact that they have repeatedly failed to take climate action. The UN has now verified that unless nations act quickly and forcefully, including a switch to cleaner sources of transportation, the climate situation will become out of hand.
The prohibition will not go into effect until the pact has received formal approval from the European Parliament and member states, which the EU announced on Thursday, October 27.
