Britain to Ban New Diesel and Gas Cars by 2040
Frederik Dahlmann, assistant professor of global energy at Warwick Business School, described Mr. Gove’s announcement as “an important step”
that set a clear long-term target, and “also gives car buyers an incentive to consider the different types of engine options available in light of the long-term development of the market.”
Still, he said, the long-term nature of the announcement left a significant question hanging: “How does the government intend to improve air quality
and reduce transport related emissions in the short term
“We can’t carry on with diesel and petrol cars, not just because of the health problems
that they cause, but also because the emissions that they cause would mean that we would accelerate climate change.”
Mr. Gove called on local councils to use the funds to “accelerate” their efforts to improve air quality
and “come up with an imaginative solution” to the problem.
By STEPHEN CASTLEJULY 26, 2017
LONDON — Scrambling to combat a growing air pollution crisis, Britain announced on Wednesday
that sales of new diesel and gas cars would reach the end of the road by 2040, the latest step in Europe’s battle against the damaging environmental impact of the internal combustion engine.
“It is important that we all gear up for a significant change which deals not just with the problems to health caused by emissions
but the broader problems caused in terms of accelerating climate change,” Michael Gove, the country’s environment secretary, said in an interview with the BBC.
