Britain is to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel trucks by 2040 as part of plans to slash greenhouse gas emissions from transport to net zero by the middle of the century.
The new rules – which are part of the government’s long-awaited “transport decarbonisation plan” – mean that all new polluting vehicles will be phased out within the next two decades.
A ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030 was announced in November part of Boris Johnson’s 10 points climate plan.
Transport is the UK’s most polluting sector, according for around a third of the country’s CO2 emission before the start of the pandemic.
“It’s not about stopping people doing things – it’s about doing the same things differently,” Grant Shapps, the UK’s transport secretary, said in a statement as the plan was released on Wednesday.
“The transport decarbonisation plan is just the start – we will need continued efforts and collaboration to deliver its ambitious commitments which is ultimately create sustainable economic growth through the healthier communities as we build back greener.”
Other measure included in the UK’s blueprint for slashing emission from transport include a pledge to reach “net –zero aviation emissions” by 2050 with an aim of slashing emission from domestic flights to net zero at an earlier date of 2040.