An arbitrary target date for banning new petrol/diesel cars and vans is based on costly virtue signalling.
It is widely reported that Boris Johnson is planning to announce a ban on the sale of new petrol/diesel cars and vans by 2030 followed by banning plug-in hybrids in 2035. Only Battery Electric Vehicles (EVs) would be permitted.
ABD Environment spokesman Paul Biggs said: “The ABD believes that the government should allow free market forces to decide when and how internal combustion engine vehicles should be replaced rather than dictating a single preferred option. We are also concerned that existing petrol/diesel vehicles will face a regime of increasing taxation in order to remove them from the roads sooner rather than later. This risks devaluing vehicles years ahead of 2030 or 2035. Battery EVs are not a panacea for emission reductions or a total like-for-like replacement. It’s not clear how the likes of the caravan and van-based motorhome industry will survive with heavier, short range electric vehicles.”
There are many legitimate concerns about government policies aimed at achieving Net Zero CO2 emissions by 2050. The absence of any cost/benefit analyses, a lack of debate and the bypassing of a proper democratic process mean that Net Zero is Vote Zero for the UK’s electorate of 46 million people. Ultimately there is likely to be a backlash against the imposition of lifestyle changes, restrictions on private car use/ownership, higher electricity bills, the banning of gas appliances etc, none of which will have any discernible impact on weather, climate or atmospheric CO2. The way is open for a new national political party that doesn’t bypass democracy by labelling everything an ’emergency’ or ‘crisis’ and does not use narrow unchallenged perspectives to provide ‘solutions’.
Notes for editors
ABD response to the proposed petrol, diesel and hybrid ban consultation: https://home-5010050506.webspace-host.com/wordpress/abd-response-to-the-proposed-petrol-diesel-hybrid-ban/
