Britain yesterday said it would outlaw the sale of new diesel and petrol cars and vans from 2040 in a bid to cut air pollution, but environmental groups said the proposals did not go far enough.
British Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Michael Gove announced the move as part of the government’s keenly awaited £3 billion (US$3.9 billion) air pollution plan, which will demand that councils propose measures by March next year to reduce nitrogen dioxide levels.
The ban on petrol and diesel cars and vans follows a similar proposal by the French government, and will also include hybrid vehicles that have an electric motor and a gasoline or diesel engine.
Photo: AFP
“The Conservatives had a manifesto promise to ensure that by 2050 there would be no diesel or petrol vehicles on the road and today we’re confirming that should mean no new diesel or petrol vehicles by 2040,” Gove told BBC Radio 4.
Britain’s High Court demanded that the government produce plans to tackle illegal nitrogen dioxide pollution, largely caused by diesel emissions, and a draft report was published in May, but the full report was delayed by last month’s snap general election.
The government is to provide local councils with £55 million to bring nitrogen dioxide levels to legal levels, with possible solutions including the removal of speed humps, reprogramming traffic lights and changing road layouts.
Campaigners want cities to impose entry fees on diesel drivers, but councils will only be allowed to do so if no other measures are available, with ministers wary of “punishing” drivers of cars who bought their vehicles in good faith, according to media reports.
“Diesel drivers are not to blame and, to help them switch to cleaner vehicles, the government will consult on a targeted scrappage scheme, one of a number of measures to support motorists affected by local plans,” a government spokesman said.
Gove added that he did not believe “that it is necessary to bring in charging.”
Campaign group ClientEarth warned that health issues “caused by exposure to illegal air pollution are happening now, so we need urgent action.”
Fellow campaigners Greenpeace also warned that the plans did not do enough to combat the immediate issue of nitrogen dioxide pollution in cities
“While this plan makes the right headline-grabbing noises, in reality it means that children across the UK will continue to be exposed to harmful air pollution for years to come, with potentially irreversible impacts,” said Areeba Hamid, clean air campaigner at Greenpeace UK.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said that the move could cost jobs.
“Currently demand for alternatively fueled vehicles is growing, but still at a very low level as consumer have concern over affordability, range and charging points,” group chief executive Mike Hawes said.
“Outright bans risk undermining the current market for new cars and our sector, which supports over 800,000 jobs across the UK. We could undermine the UK’s successful automotive sector if we don’t allow enough time for the industry to adjust,” he said.
Beijing’s continued provocations in the Taiwan Strait reveal its intention to unilaterally change the “status quo” in the area, the US Department of State said on Saturday, calling for a peaceful resolution to cross-strait issues. The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) reported that four China Coast Guard patrol vessels entered restricted and prohibited waters near Kinmen County on Friday and again on Saturday. A State Department spokesperson said that Washington was aware of the incidents, and urged all parties to exercise restraint and refrain from unilaterally changing the “status quo.” “Maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is in line with our [the
EXTENDED RANGE: Hsiung Sheng missiles, 100 of which might be deployed by the end of the year, could reach Chinese command posts and airport runways, a source said A NT$16.9 billion (US$534.93 million) project to upgrade the military’s missile defense systems would be completed this year, allowing the deployment of at least 100 long-range Hsiung Sheng missiles and providing more deterrence against China, military sources said on Saturday. Hsiung Sheng missiles are an extended-range version of the Hsiung Feng IIE (HF-2E) surface-to-surface cruise missile, and are believed to have a range of up to 1,200km, which would allow them to hit targets well inside China. They went into mass production in 2022, the sources said. The project is part of a special budget for the Ministry of National Defense aimed at
READY TO WORK: Taiwan is eager to cooperate and is hopeful that like-minded states will continue to advocate for its inclusion in regional organizations, Lai said Maintaining the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait, and peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region must be a top priority, president-elect William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after meeting with a delegation of US academics. Leaders of the G7, US President Joe Biden and other international heads of state have voiced concerns about the situation in the Strait, as stability in the region is necessary for a safe, peaceful and prosperous world, Lai said. The vice president, who is to be inaugurated in May, welcomed the delegation and thanked them for their support for Taiwan and issues concerning the Strait. The international community
COOPERATION: Two crewmembers from a Chinese fishing boat that sank off Kinmen were rescued, two were found dead and another two were still missing at press time The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) was yesterday working with Chinese rescuers to find two missing crewmembers from a Chinese fishing boat that sank southwest of Kinmen County yesterday, killing two crew. The joint operation managed to rescue two of the boat’s six crewmembers, but two were already dead when they were pulled from the water, the agency said in a statement. Rescuers are still searching for two others from the Min Long Yu 61222, a boat registered in China’s Fujian Province that capsized and sank 1.03 nautical miles (1.9km) southwest of Dongding Island (東碇), it added. CGA Director-General Chou Mei-wu (周美伍) told a