Electric vehicles have existed since the 1890s, but their popularity has gained significant momentum with sales increasing rapidly. The UK's charging infrastructure is growing fast and electric vehicle deals seem to be springing up everywhere. So how have electric vehicles become such a hot topic? This article explains how and why electric vehicles are quite literally transforming the mobility landscape and the role the Paris Agreement and the ZEV mandates have played in the transition from ICE (diesel and petrol) vehicles to electric.
What's the Paris Agreement?
The Paris Agreement was adopted by 196 Parties at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris, France, on 12 December 2015 and entered into force on 4 November 2016. A legally binding international treaty, it recognises that climate change is a global emergency that goes beyond national borders, requiring international cooperation and coordinated solutions at all levels. It outlines emission reduction targets and monitoring frameworks for a net zero emissions world. The European auto industry supports the Paris Agreement and the EU’s 2050 transport decarbonisation targets and has invested billions in electrification to bring vehicles to market.
What does Net Zero mean?
The term's used to describe the balance between the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) that's produced in the atmosphere and the amount that's removed. To avoid the worst climate change effects and preserve our planet, global temperature increase needs to be limited to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Emissions need to be reduced by 45% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. More than 140 countries have set a net zero target, covering about 88% of global emissions. More than 9,000 companies, 1000 educational institutions, and over 600 financial institutions have pledged to take immediate action to halve global emissions by 2030 by significantly strengthening their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
What's an NDC?
An NDC is a climate action plan to cut emissions and adapt to climate impacts. Each Party to the Paris Agreement is required to establish an NDC and update it every 5 years. The Climate Change Committee (CCC) is the independent advisory body to the UK Government advising them on emissions targets and reporting to Parliament on progress made in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as well as preparing for and adapting to the impacts of climate change. The UK has 2 sets of climate goals: the statutory carbon budgets, set out for more than a decade in advance by the CCC and the UK’s target under the Paris Agreement (NDCs), which is pegged to emissions cuts by 2030. The CCC has been instrumental recommending the introduction of the ZEV mandate and provided evidence on the role of Zero Emissions Vehicles (ZEVs) as part of the wider global road transport transition needed to help achieve the Paris Agreement’s goal. It recommended the introduction of the ZEV Mandate as part of the Government’s net zero strategy.
What's the ZEV mandate?
The ZEV mandate requires a rising percentage of individual manufacturers’ total annual sales to be zero emissions vehicles each year. Under the ZEV, 22% of new car sales and 10% of new van sales must be ZEVs this year, and this percentage will continue to rise. By 2030, 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans sold will need to be zero-emission, increasing to 100% by 2035. In its election manifesto, Labour committed to reinstating the 2030 ban on new ICE (petrol/diesel) car sales, which the previous government had pushed back to 2035.
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