Electric Cars Won’t Save The Planet, Say Transport Experts At COP26

Electric Cars Won’t Save The Planet, Say Transport Experts At COP26

Greta Thunberg's "Blah, blah, blah" has been adopted—with a minor modification—by bicycle advocates ... [+] protesting the lack of cycling at COP26. "It's crazy cycling isn't on the main agenda here at COP26," mused Chris Boardman, Greater Manchester's transport commissioner. Instead, today's main agenda item on the COP26 Transport Day focussed primarily on electric vehicles. Cycling, walking, trains, and buses were all excluded from the high-level discussions. Twenty-four countries—and some of the world's leading automotive companies—have signed a pledge at COP26 to phase out gasoline and diesel-powered motor vehicles by 2040 and replace them with electric cars and trucks. Sign-ups to the promise include Canada, New Zealand, and the Netherlands. The U. K.—which had already pledged to phase out new gasoline and diesel vehicles by the more ambitious target of 2030—also signed the agreement. Fewer cars, not newer cars, says a placard held by a young protestor outside COP26 on Transport Day, ... [+] November 10. Transport experts have poured scorn on the joint UN and U. K. government decision to focus almost entirely on electrification at the 26th Conference of the Parties staged in Glasgow. "We know that people switching from normal cars to electric cars isn't progress," said