In 2021 the Government published its Net Zero Strategy and its aims for Britain to become carbon neutral by 2050. This proposed to tackle the CO2 emissions produced by vehicles, which are estimated to contribute some 25% of worldwide CO2 emissions.
The Net Zero Strategy also tackles many other sources of emissions, such as heating, aviation, shipping, industry, waste, agriculture and so on.
We all know decarbonisation is a good thing, and even the most ardent petrolhead can’t argue against evidence held in the ice records dug up at the poles, which clearly shows how much carbon started to enter the atmosphere at the start of the industrial revolution.
With population growth, and people living longer and buying more goods such as vehicles, the situation is at a critical point. Although the UK has almost halved greenhouse gas emissions since 1990, it’s not enough and the key aim is that we need to stop the world heating up by any more than 1.5°C.
This is seen as the tipping point, at which ice caps melt, sea levels rise and flooding causes people to be displaced, and all manner of food shortages.
STRATEGIC PLANS
For motorists, the essential date to be aware of is 2030, when there is a proposed ban on the sale of new vehicles powered only by fossil fuels – although until 2035, manufacturers can still sell vehicles that have hybrid technology (that is, those with an electric motor in addition to
