Road to nowhere: a report from Westminster Forum’s zero-emission vehicle conference
By Bradley Osborne - 4th April 2023
On 9 March 2023, the Westminster Energy, Environment & Transport Forum hosted a conference, bringing together policymakers and private stakeholders, as well as representatives from local government, to discuss the UK’s progress towards the 2030 ban of petrol and diesel cars and vans. In this T&BB report, Bradley Osborne presents the salient points which arose from the discussion.*
UK – In 2020, the UK government made a bold announcement. All new sales of cars and vans powered solely by an internal combustion engine (ICE) would be banned in 2030, with a ban on hybrids to follow in 2035. It was one of the first countries to commit to a legislated phase-out of fossil fuel-driven vehicles. Since COP26 in 2021, several other countries have promised to adhere to similar targets. In the same year, T&BB reported that the UK Department for Transport is tabling a later ban of 2040 for heavy goods vehicles.1
