The UK is on track to phase out fossil-fuel-powered vehicles sooner than any other major economy with this week’s announcement that it will ban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles in 2030.Â
The ban on polluting vehicles will be introduced five years earlier than previously planned, although it will allow the sale of hybrid vehicles until 2035.Â
The new vehicle standards are part of a larger “green industrial revolution” which includes £12 billion of government investment into climate change mitigation initiatives.Â
To support the electric vehicle transition, the UK will fund the expansion of charging points, battery efficiency research, and subsidize electric vehicles to make them as affordable for consumers as traditional combustion engines.
Norway has also planned to ensure that new passenger cars and vans sold by 2025 are zero-emission and California has committed to phasing out combustion engines by 2030. This vehicle solution, along with substantial renewable energy investment, brings the UK closer to the climate goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement and pushes them ahead as a leader in growing a sustainable economy.
