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The European Union reached a deal to effectively ban new combustion-engine cars from 2035, a move that will reshape transportation and mark a significant step on the path to reduce carbon emissions.
The bloc’s three key institutions — its executive arm, the parliament and member states — reached a deal Thursday that will require carmakers to reach a zero-emission target by 2035. The agreement requires a 55 percent cut in emissions this decade as the EU sets a course to reach climate neutrality by 2050.
“It’s the start of a big transition of the European Union,” Jan Huitema, the parliament’s main negotiator, said in an interview earlier on Thursday. It “shows it is doable.”
The deal marks an unexpectedly rapid advance for what was one of the EU’s most controversial proposals when it was announced a little over a year ago as part of a green overhaul of the bloc’s economy. And it marks the death knell, at least in Europe, for a mode of transport that has dominated the region since it was invented in the 19th century.
“European car makers are already proving they are ready to step up to the plate, with increasing and increasingly affordable electric cars coming to the market,” the EU’s climate chief, Frans Timmermans, said in a statement. “The speed at which this change has happened over the past few years is remarkable.”
The agreement has global ramifications. As the world’s largest trade bloc, the EU has a reputation for setting standards globally and is home to many of the biggest car manufacturers like Volkswagen AG and Daimler Truck Holding AG. – Bloomberg
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