As part of the 2015 Paris Agreement, over 190 nations pledged to reach net zero emissions by 2050. To achieve this, some have enacted target dates by which all new cars must be zero-emission. But many of those same countries are now having second thoughts.
Yesterday, the European Union (E.U.) approved a plan to end all sales of vehicles with internal combustion engines by 2035. The rule would apply to both gasoline and diesel and is intended as a step toward achieving complete carbon neutrality by 2050. But according to Reuters, five smaller E.U. member nations privately advocated for postponing the ban. The countries in question—Italy, Portugal, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Romania—advocated putting off the total ban to 2040, with slightly more modest bans on specific types of vehicles in the interim. The letter cited concerns over the feasibility of hitting target dates, specifically that "adequate and tailored transition periods need to be established." One Bulgarian official stressed "significant differences" in what smaller E.U. nations can accomplish.
