Labour is today calling for the government to end the sale of new
petrol, diesel, and hybrid cars and vans by 2030, to create jobs,
cut carbon emissions, and reduce air pollution.
Writing to the Transport Secretary , Labour’s Shadow Ministers for Climate Change,
Transport, and Energy are calling on him to set out an ambitious
plan for a rapid transition to zero-emissions vehicles or risk
further damage to both the UK's car industry and our credibility
on the global stage as hosts of the COP26 climate summit in
Glasgow next year.
Labour’s calls for a 2030 date has significant
backing: in June, the independent Committee on Climate Change
made clear that the phase-out date must be brought forward to
“2032 at the latest” if the UK is to meet its legally-binding
2050 net-zero emissions target.
Just last month, a third of Conservative Party MPs called for the
phase-out date to be brought forward to 2030.
By taking steps to ensure the UK is at the forefront of efforts
to phase out polluting vehicles, the Government would secure not
only significant environmental and public health benefits but
would create new high-skilled jobs in towns and cities across the
country.
Studies suggest that manufacturing batteries to replace internal
combustion engines, for instance, would boost direct employment
in the automotive industry from about 170,000 jobs today to as
many as 220,000 by 2040. In contrast, a failure to accelerate the
development and rollout of new technologies risks exacerbating
the severe challenges already facing the UK car industry.
The UK risks falling behind while other nations race ahead
towards ending the use of fossil fuel cars. California has
introduced a Zero Emissions Vehicle Mandate, which requires
manufacturers to produce increasing percentages of sustainable
vehicles year on year. Meanwhile Germany and France have
responded to the economic challenges of the pandemic by
significantly increasing their electric vehicle subsidies and, in
the latter case, introducing a means-tested green scrappage
scheme.
, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Climate Change
said:
"2030 is an ambitious but achievable date by which to phase out
the sale of new petrol, diesel, and hybrid vehicles, one that
would give a new lease of life to the UK car industry, whilst
combatting climate breakdown and cleaning up the air that
dangerously pollutes so many of our towns and cities.
"But as well as accelerating the phase out, the Government must
also set out a credible plan to get there - one that backs the
low-carbon jobs and industries of the future and ensures that
workers and communities are properly supported in the transition
to a fairer and cleaner economy.
"It's time for Ministers to seize this opportunity as part of a
world-leading green recovery from the coronavirus pandemic,
creating good jobs across the country, and generating real
momentum for next year's COP26 climate summit."
ENDS
Notes to Editors
