Germany Joins ZEV Alliance at Paris Climate Summit
Germany has joined the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Alliance at the Paris Climate Summit, which means that diesel and petrol as fuel for vehicles now have an expiration date. By 2050, every vehicle in Germany should be emission-free. Despite the fact that the number of electric cars available in Germany has increased significantly in the last three years, they still only make up a small percentage of new vehicle registrations compared to the total number of registrations. The German government has set a high target of one million registered electric vehicles by 2020. The ZEV Alliance, which includes the UK, the Netherlands, Norway, eight US states and the Canadian province of Quebec, aims to reduce global pollution by up to 40% and hopefully prevent climate change. The positive effect of these measures on the environment would be extensive: the temperatures of the oceans and the air would not rise further, extreme weather changes would become less frequent, and the air would become cleaner, leading to a higher quality of life and fewer deaths from lung diseases.
Although new mobility forms, such as car sharing, are gaining more and more supporters in many western countries, the global trend is still moving in a different direction. In 2010, there were more than one billion cars in the world, and most people still consider it important to own one or two cars for their own mobility. However, in addition to the government, car manufacturers are also supporting the ZEV Alliance. For example, Toyota has announced that it will completely abandon conventional propulsion systems by 2050 and only use electric, hybrid and fuel cell propulsion systems in the future.
The ZEV Alliance is a significant step towards reducing global pollution and preventing climate change. Germany’s commitment to this alliance is a positive move towards a cleaner and more sustainable future. The goal of one million registered electric vehicles by 2020 is ambitious, but with the support of the government and car manufacturers, it is achievable. The ZEV Alliance’s aim to eliminate petrol and diesel by 2050 is a bold move, but it is necessary to ensure a cleaner and healthier environment for future generations.
