Page 9 - Gi_April2020

industry & government news

BAN ON SALE OF PETROL ‘BEAST FROM THE EAST’
AND DIESEL CARS COULD

BE JUST 12 YEARS AWAY, COLD SNAP LED TO SPIKE
SAYS MINISTER
IN BRITAIN’S EMISSIONS

THE RAC HAS CALLED HYBRIDS ‘THE
PERFECT STEPPING STONE’

PETROL, DIESEL AND HYBRID
cars could be removed from sale
in just 12 years, the Transport
Secretary has said.
According to Grant Shapps, a
consultation has suggested that 2032
could be the year that cars powered
by internal combustion engines are
pulled from forecourts.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has
suggested a ban will be introduced
in 2035 – five years earlier than
previously thought.
But Shapps has now said the ban
on sales could come in even earlier,
according to the Evening Standard.
A Department for Transport
spokeswoman said: “We are
consulting on a range of possible
dates to bring forward the end to IN 2018 THE UK WAS HIT BY UNSEASONABLY COLD WEATHER
the sale of petrol and diesel cars
and vans. HEATING BRITAIN’S DRAUGHTY before the UK hosts the next round
“The consultation proposal for this homes during the ‘Beast from the East’ of international UN climate talks in
is 2035 or earlier if a faster transition caused greenhouse gas emissions to Glasgow this year.
appears feasible, as well as including rise by 2.5 million tonnes in 2018, or Peter Smith, a director at the NEA,
hybrids for the first time.” half of the total emissions of Albania. said UK residential emissions “are
RAC spokesman Simon Williams Official figures showed the emissions rising at a time when the world is
said: “While the government from homes and public buildings rose looking to us for global leadership” on
appears to be constantly moving sharply as a result of a Siberian weather the climate crisis.
the goalposts forward for ending system, in part because many still rely The UK’s record on tackling home
the sale of new petrol, diesel and on gas heating and subpar insulation, energy waste has slowed in recent
hybrid vehicles, drivers should not according to The Guardian. years after government ministers axed
be worried about opting for a plug-in The cold snap in early 2018 caused schemes to help insulate homes.
hybrid now. emissions from homes to rise by A spokesperson for BEIS said:
“They are potentially the perfect four per cent from the year before, “Residential emissions have declined
stepping stone for those who according to the government’s data, by 14 per cent since 1990 – and latest
want to go electric but who have or the equivalent of a small country’s figures show a 2.1 per cent annual
concerns about range as they aren’t annual emissions. drop in greenhouse gas emissions. But
as expensive as a battery electric National Energy Action (NEA), a fuel we want to go further, including by
vehicle. At the moment they give poverty charity, urged the government investing £10 million in home retrofit
drivers the best of both worlds.” to make good on its election promises innovation and introducing tough new
to help improve home energy efficiency efficiency standards for landlords.”

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12/03/2020 12:29
News.indd 4
News.indd 4 12/03/2020 12:29