Canada has announced to ban the sale of fuel-burning new cars and light-duty trucks from 2035 to reach net-zero emissions across the country by 2050, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government said on Tuesday.
Only zero-emissions cars and trucks will be able to be sold from 2035. This will stir a mixture of investments and regulations that will aid the industry’s transition toward that goal. The government also said it will set temporary and short-term targets for 2025 and 2030.
“We are committed to aligning Canada’s zero-emission vehicles sales targets with those of the most ambitious North American jurisdictions,” Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said in the statement.
Similarly, Britain had said that it would ban fuel-powered vehicles from 2030, while the United States hasn’t yet picked a date but is moving in that direction. California, the largest U.S. auto market, said last year it would move to electric vehicles starting in 2035, and the Canadian province of Quebec has set the same target. L8N2I41CT
British Columbia is phasing out fuel-powered cars and trucks with a total ban in 2040.
“We will work with the United States to harmonize fuel efficiency regulations and we’re investing in consumer rebates, charging stations, business tax breaks, and industry transition costs,” Wilkinson added.
Trudeau is ambitious and determined to take Canada to net-zero emissions by 2050. Shifting transportation away from fossil fuels is the main element of meeting that goal.
Canadians broadly support fighting climate change, and Trudeau is expected to trigger an election as soon as September to rid himself of his dependence on opposition support in a minority parliament.
“Canada cannot reach our greenhouse gas targets if emissions from cars, SUVs, and pickups, which are currently growing, are not curtailed,” said Keith Brooks, programs director at the advocacy group Environmental Defense, who welcomed the move.
Brooks said only 3.5% of vehicles now sold in Canada are electric and that the government needs to do more to support the market for zero-emission vehicles