The movements against climate change are gaining strength and the governments of the world are beginning to turn their gaze to the important issue that affects humanity. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the UK will ban the sale of new cars and vans with diesel and gasoline engines from 2030, ten years earlier than previously anticipated.
Hybrid vehicles capable of traveling “significant distances without emitting carbon dioxide” will continue on sale until 2035, the Government advanced in a statement, which plans to invest 1,300 million pound sterling (1,450 million euros) in accelerating the expansion of recharging points electrical.
For a greener world
The move is part of a strategic environmental plan, and Johnson wants to “create and support” 250,000 jobs in the UK, which will host the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow in 2021.
Over the next decade, the British Executive plans to mobilize 12,000 million pounds (13,390 million euros) in public investments towards sectors that contribute to the goal of reaching zero net emissions of carbon dioxide by 2050.
Dialogue with manufacturers
UK Government assures that it has maintained “extensive consultations” with vehicle manufacturers and sellers before announcing the future veto on diesel and gasoline engines.
The United Kingdom “already manufactures a significant proportion of electric vehicles in Europe,” says Johnson. Those cars will also help the industry to boost the production development of batteries with an investment of 500 million pounds (560 million euros) in four years.
Johnson also plans to grant 582 million pounds (650 million euros) in subsidies to lower the price and stimulate the sale of zero or “ultra-low” emissions vehicles.
The environmental organization Greenpeace UK declared that the ban announced by the United Kingdom marks a “historic turning point in climate action”.
“The move to electric vehicles is not a panacea, vetoing new polluting gasoline and diesel (cars) by 2030 can put the government on track towards meeting its climate commitments,” said Rebecca Newsom, head of the UK Policy department at Greenpeace.
Johnson’s ten-point environmental roadmap also plans to quadruple the amount of offshore wind power the UK produces over the next decade, to 40 gigawatts (GV).
The use of hydrogen as a fuel for industry, transport and the generation of heat in homes will be promoted with up to 500 million pounds (560 million euros) and 525 million pounds (585 million euros) and will be dedicated to development of plants and nuclear technology.
The UK also aspires to become a “world leader in technologies for capturing and storing harmful emissions”, and aims to have recovered 10 megatons (MT) of carbon dioxide by 2030.
