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Trucks in London
Photo: Dan Kitwood / Getty Images
In its plan to significantly reduce emissions from traffic, the British government is now also tackling trucks.
Great Britain plans to ban the sale of diesel and petrol trucks by 2040 at the latest.
The Ministry of Transport in London announced that the sale of vehicles with a weight of 3.5 to 26 tons is to be banned from 2035 and the sale of heavier trucks by 2040 at the latest.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson had already announced a ban on the sale of classic diesel and gasoline cars for 2030 in November 2020.
The measures are part of a government project to achieve net zero emissions from transport by 2050.
Decarbonization is not just a technocratic process, said Transport Minister Grant Shapps.
Rather, it is about contributing to the quality of life and a modern economy.
“We will continue to fly on vacation, but in more efficient aircraft and with sustainable fuel.
We will continue to drive, but increasingly in zero-emission cars. "
The transport association Logistics UK received approval.
Companies now have "confidence and clarity about the steps they need to take on the way to net zero."
The Royal Haulage Association, on the other hand, was critical.
The association supported the project in principle, but the way there was unrealistic, said a spokesman.
“These alternative trucks don't exist yet.
We don't know when that will happen, and it's not clear what a transition will look like. ”Many companies fear high costs for new vehicles as the resale value of their current trucks collapses.
Great Britain is hosting the world climate conference COP26, which is to take place in November in Glasgow, Scotland.
The meeting is considered an important milestone for reaching agreements on the concrete further implementation of the Paris Agreement.
mmq / dpa
