Ending combustion car sales from 2035 in the world’s most important markets is the goal set by an alliance of countries, manufacturers and other organizations as part of the climate summit held in Glasgow. The transport sector is responsible for around 20% of global greenhouse emissions. And practically 90% correspond to road transport.
This alliance with a hundred signatories is officially presented this Wednesday at COP26. And it establishes that the signatories will work so that “all sales of new cars and trucks are zero emissions globally by 2040, and no later than 2035 in the main markets.” Around thirty countries are within this agreement that the United Kingdom has led and which until Tuesday night had also been joined by other important nations such as Canada, India, the Netherlands, Austria, Norway, Chile and Denmark. However, the USA, China, Germany and France were not present. Neither was Spain planning to join for the moment. On the manufacturers’ side, six major global firms – Ford, General Motors, Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar Land Rover and China’s BYD – have joined this initiative.
This commitment is compatible with what the Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, had requested in mid-October, before the summit. In a congress on sustainable mobility, he urged developed countries to stop manufacturing combustion cars from 2035 and the rest from 2040. In addition, the European Commission has also proposed that the end of this type of cars that emit gases greenhouse effect – that is, those of gasoline, diesel, natural gas and hybrids – from 2035. However, the European proposal has yet to be finalized within the Community institutions and with the 27 governments.
The fact that this negotiation is alive is what has meant that some important members of the EU, such as Spain, Germany and France, have not joined at first, according to sources from the Spanish delegation at COP26. Spain, in its recent Climate Change Law, establishes 2040 as the ceiling for non-zero emission car sales. And, according to these sources, the norm contemplates that that date be automatically modified and 2035 be established if that is what all the European institutions finally agree on.
The agreement presented this Wednesday can also be joined by regional governments and cities, which are committed to working so that their “fleets of cars and trucks owned or rented are zero-emission vehicles as late as 2035.” Likewise, manufacturers joining this statement maintain that they will work towards making all of their truck and passenger car sales zero emissions in “major markets” by 2035 or earlier.
This alliance, like the rest of those that are being publicly presented during this summit and being promoted by the Government of the United Kingdom, which is chairing COP26, is not binding as it is not part of the official UN negotiations. As the climate and renewable policy expert Niklas Höhne recalled this Tuesday at the summit, announcements about the “end of coal or fossil fuels” should then be reflected in national policies; and in many cases it does not happen.
However, despite not having that direct link for their signatories, this type of declarations and alliances also have an effect on investors, who are sent a message about the technologies that will make it more difficult in the transition to an economy free of greenhouse effect emissions. They also reinforce the idea that electric mobility is the future. This message is increasingly accepted by the majority of society, as reflected in a recent 40dB survey carried out for EL PAÍS on the occasion of COP26. 63% of the Spanish respondents were in favor of setting 2035 as the ceiling for combustion car sales. 60% assured that they would buy a plug-in car – pure electric or hybrid – if they had to buy a passenger car at this time.
The day of this Wednesday of the climate summit will be dedicated to transport. It is expected that some progress will also be made on maritime and land transport, which in many cases are not covered by national plans to cut greenhouse emissions. An initiative to veto new oil and natural gas development is also expected.
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