On Wednesday, the government of the United Kingdom released a statement which said that six of the major automakers will commit to phase out the production of fossil-fuel vehicles globally by 2040 as part of global efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
However, sources familiar with the contents claim that some major automakers, including the world’s top two, Toyota Motor Corp and Volkswagen AG as well as key auto markets China, the United States and Germany, have declined to sign. This brought to light the difficulties that still remain in achieving a zero-emission future.
According to data from the International Energy Agency, cars, trucks, ships, buses,and planes account for roughly a quarter of all global carbon emissions, with road vehicles accounting for the majority.
Volvo, Ford Motor Co and General Motors Co of the United States, Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz, China’s BYD Co Ltd, and Jaguar Land Rover, a unit of India’s Tata Motors Ltd, were all set to sign the pledge at the climate talks that is ongoing in Glasgow.
Volvo has already stated that it will be completely electric by 2030.
Four new countries, including New Zealand and Poland, have pledged to make all new cars and vans, zero-emission by 2040 or earlier, according to British government who is hosting the COP26 summit.
The announcement comes on the conference day that was dedicated to transportation.
However, the pledge failed to gain traction in China, the world’s largest car market, and the United States, the world’s largest economy and second-largest car market, which raises concerns about its effectiveness.
‘We are proud to now join other companies, governments, and civil society organisations in supporting the declaration to work toward a transition to 100 percent zero emission vehicles by 2035,’ GM said in a statement.
While the US is not joining the pledge, key car-buying states such as California and New York have vowed their commitment.
Some automakers are wary of the pledge, according to a source in the industry, because it commits them to a costly technological shift without a similar commitment from governments to ensure that the necessary charging and grid infrastructure is built to support electric vehicles.
The European Commission proposed a ban on fossil-fuel vehicles, which will be effective from 2035 in the summer, along with a commitment to charging infrastructure that carmakers had requested.
Stellantis, the world’s fourth-largest automaker, was left out of the latest pledge, as were Japanese automakers Honda Motor Co Ltd and Nissan Motor Co Ltd. Uber Technologies Inc, a ride-hailing company, will also be a signatory.
According to a statement released by the British government, a joint declaration will be signed by companies such as Sainsbury’s and cities around the world aiming to convert their veicle fleets to green
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