The European Union on Wednesday proposed an effective ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035, aiming to speed up the switch to zero-emission electric vehicles (EVs) as part of a broad package of measures to combat global warming.The mammoth plan was unveiled by the European Commission and is intended to transform the bloc’s economy from fossil fuel dependency to a world of net-zero emissions.
“Europe is now the very first continent that presents a comprehensive architecture to meet our climate ambitions,” EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen told reporters in Brussels.
The legislative push is being promoted as the “Fit for 55” package, as its central aim is to align existing EU laws and targets with a deepened 55 percent net emissions reduction by 2030.The previous objective was a cut of at least 40 percent from 1990 levels.Another pillar is a carbon levy that will be paid by non-European companies at the bloc’s external border to ensure dirtier imports aren’t allowed an unfair advantage.The levy will be known as a “carbon border adjustment mechanism” and polluting organizations importing goods into the EU will have to purchase ETS carbon permits, a move most likely to antagonise EU trading partners like Russia, China and India.
The Commission estimates 80-120 billion euros ($95-$142 billion) will need to be spent on public and private chargers across the EU by 2040.The Commission’s proposals will need to be negotiated and approved by EU member states and the European Parliament, which could take around two years.Low-emission car sales surged in Europe last year, even as the COVID-19 pandemic knocked overall vehicle sales, and one in every nine new cars sold was an electric or plug-in hybrid.