Prior to the G20 summit, France’s new Ecology Minister Nicolas Hulot announced that France will end sales of gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles by 2040. French President Emmanuel Macron has been an outspoken leader on the climate crisis following Donald Trump’s historic mistake to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement. This ban on fossil fuel-powered vehicles will help France meet its commitments under the Paris Agreement and will help alleviate the spike in air pollution from increased use of diesel-powered vehicles.
To help residents switch to cleaner transportation, France will develop financial incentives for people to trade in their polluting vehicles for cleaner options.
This news follows Volvo’s announcement that by 2019, it will end its production of new car models with conventional combustion engines and instead only innovate with new models of electric and hybrid options. The G20 summit, set to begin in Hamburg, Germany tomorrow, will heavily focus on climate and the Paris Agreement, placing Trump starkly at odds with the other world leaders in attendance. Trump also met with Macron in Paris later in the week.
In response, Sierra Club Electric Vehicles Initiative Director Gina Coplon-Newfield released the following statement:
“France’s pledge to move beyond dirty fossil fuel-powered cars shows that bold national commitments to clean transportation are possible. By making the switch to electric vehicles that will increasingly plug into renewable sources of electricity, France is decelerating the climate crisis and accelerating its commitment to the Paris Agreement.
“While Donald Trump takes the low road by withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, world leaders like Macron are taking the high road, knowing that clean energy is not only the economic choice, it’s the responsible choice for communities and the environment. U.S. policy makers should follow France’s lead so that we reach the end of the road for dirty transportation.”
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