What Was Said About Electric Vehicles at COP26?

Kept up with all of the plans and announcements made at this year’s COP26 summit in Glasgow? It was an information-packed two weeks, but like many EV drivers, we were keeping a close eye (and ear) out for any news about electric vehicles. Significant steps towards improving the EV infrastructure across the world are underway. However, it wasn’t as all-encompassing as we might have hoped. If you didn’t catch the updates, these are all the plans made about electric vehicles at COP26.

Agreements to Transition to 100% Zero-Commission Sales

Several governments in leading and developing countries signed a pledge at COP26 that sees them agree to move to 100% zero-emissions sales of new cars and vans by 2040 globally and by 2035 in larger, leading markets. Along with them, individual cities, states, regional governments, manufacturers, fleet owners, investors and financial institutions all signed the pledge.

It’s great to see so many different countries and businesses sign this pledge! We hope that this will start some serious work to increase EV uptake across the world.

Separate Agreement for Electric Trucks and Buses

Alongside this pledge, 15 countries (including the UK, Austria, Canada, Turkey and Finland) also signed a separate pledge; They will work towards a similar 100% zero-emission sales goal for new trucks and buses by 2040. It’s another big step towards decarbonising the automotive industry and cutting down the environmental impact caused by vehicles on the road.

It’s Not All Good News…

Unfortunately, although movements have begun, for many countries, it does not go far enough. Some of the world’s largest automotive manufacturers were suspiciously quiet during the signing of the pledges mentioned. Countries like the U.S., China, Germany, South Korea and Japan—all known for their auto markets—didn’t sign the pledges. Similarly, Toyota and Volkswagen also didn’t add their name to the list of signatories.

In Conclusion

We’re glad that there was a lot of discussion on the topic of electric vehicles. Although these pledges aren’t legally binding, they will hopefully bring a conscious effort by the countries and organisations that signed these agreements to make the automotive industry greener. If you missed our last blog on COP26, check it out here!

If you want to get ahead of the game and start using an electric vehicle for yourself, why not look at our salary sacrifice schemes?