EU pursues end to gasoline-powered vehicles

Oct. 28 (UPI) -- Zero emissions for new cars and trucks could be realized in the near future under the terms of a provisional political agreement, members of the European Parliament said.

The European Parliament late Thursday reached a preliminary agreement on CO2 emissions for new cars and vans, hoping to eventually eliminate fuel-powered vehicles completely by 2035.

The provision is part of the EU's so-called Fit for 55 package that spells out how member states can cut their overall greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030. An interim target for alternative vehicles was set for 2030, when new vehicles need to cut emissions in half relative to 2021 levels.

Anna Hubackova, a European member of Parliament and the Czech minister of the environment, said the proposal sends a strong signal that the bloc is serious about transitioning to a cleaner future.

"Zero-emission mobility will be a building block for slowing down climate change that can create severe disruptions in many sectors of our society, including environment, migration, food security and the economy," she said.

The proposal follows a similar offer from Parliament that would mandate zero emissions from all new buildings owned by public entities by 2028 and all buildings in general by 2030.

Meanwhile, a new report from the World Meteorological Organization finds that emissions of the three main greenhouse gases -- carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide -- all set records last year.

Atmospheric carbon dioxide reached 149% of the pre-industrial level in 2021, primarily due to emissions from fossil fuels and cement production. Methane emissions, meanwhile, were the highest since measurements began in the 1980s, while nitrous oxide levels were higher than the average annual growth rate over the past 10 years.

Concerns like these, as well as the efforts to address them, will be on display next month when Egypt hosts the 27th United Nations Climate Change conference, dubbed COP27.