Denmark, together with 10 other European Union countries, have called for a new strategy to phase out petrol and diesel cars by 2030 in a bid to combat climate change. The move, which was proposed during a meeting of EU environment ministers in Luxembourg recently, will also see the sales ban of conventionally-powered cars by 2030.
According to Reuters, phasing out petrol and diesel cars are part of European Commission’s new president, Ursula van der Leyen’s plans to completely cut carbon emissions by 2050 to help stop global warming. She also aims to make Europe the first climate neutral continent by 2050.
The Danish delegation argued that to achieve a carbon neutral status, the transport sector needs to decrease its emissions, which it claims is the only sector that’s increasing in emissions. The immediate plan is to cut carbon emissions in the EU by 40% by 2030, with Danish climate and energy minister, Dan Jorgensen saying “we need to acknowledge that we are in a bit of a hurry.”
In October 2018, The Danish government announced that it would completely ban the sale of all fossil fuel-powered cars by 2030, but later scrapped the idea because it would have breached EU rules. Instead, Jorgensen suggested that the gradual sales ban of ICE-powered cars in member states could put mounting pressure on the Commission to completely phase them out in the coming decades.
Jorgensen also said if the EU could not agree on a union-wide ban, it would be good if at least individual countries were allowed to implement such a measure. “Plan A would be to make it a European ban,” he said.
There’s also the issue of “carbon leakage” where second-hand cars from western Europe are being offloaded to the eastern region, with Lithuania, Latvia, Slovenia, Bulgaria and several other countries suggesting that more things are needed to be done to address this issue.
Jorgensen said it was important to communicate the bloc’s long-term policy directions to carmakers. He said Denmark’s next step was to set up an alliance with the 10 member states that support its strategy to phase out diesel and petrol cars and the possibility to prohibit the sale of them in individual member states. “Then I think others will follow,” he said.
Meanwhile, France is firm on its decision to ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2040, and the country will help its automakers make the switch to electricity, hydrogen and possibly new-generation biofuels.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
Habis la denmark. majoriti ubah gomen denmark..
The oil n gas sector need to hang on strong in the 2030 wave . Then one more in 2040.
So new sales but people still get to drive what they roll own. Good on EU but the rest of the world ain’t ready for it especially here in Malaysia where we are an pool export country so EV in Malaysia will only happen when our oil runs dry
Its all about the mentality. we are comfortable within our comfort jaguh kampong zones –
Meanwhile here 3rd world country peasants everyday making noise someone didn’t fulfil promised RM1.50/liter. Wants cheap dirty poison loaded fuel grade stuck at between EURo1 and EURo3. How many did pump in EURO5 diesel. lulz Commonly seen Hailat Lainger Napara Dimaks only pump in EURo2m diesel and they happily smell the poison fumes driving their pickup daily.
Danmark is already the country with one of the highest car prices in the world. Additionally, they don’t have an own car industry. From that point of view it’s easy for them to ban petrol and diesel cars from 2030, they have nothing to lose at all.
with the TNB high tariffs, i wonder would it be cheaper to continue pump petro, or pay for high electricity bill?
already paying around rm400-500 a month compared to rm200-300 few years back similar usage, if add in EV, might end up paying rm1000 a month to TNB monopoly.
give us cheap electric bill first if want us to go EV.
how dare you!