• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • Contact Us
  • +44 (0) 7976 626 544
terrafiniti

Terrafiniti

Sustainability Consultancy, Sustainability Consultants, Sustainability

  • Sustainability Services
    • Sustainability Strategy & Management
      • Double Materiality Assessment (DMA)
    • Sustainability Training
    • Sustainability Reporting
    • Sustainability Review & Benchmarking
    • Responsible Communications Services
  • Sustainable Business Strategy
    • Sustainable Business Guidance & Resources
    • Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
    • Sustainable Transition
  • About Us
    • Customers
      • 3stepIT
      • 8020 Communications
      • Early Years Alliance
      • RNLI
      • YMCA
      • ISP Case Study
        • Food and Packaging Sector
    • Sustainability Professionals Resilience Group
    • Our responsibility
    • Our Experience & Best Practice
  • Insights
    • Articles
    • Greenwashing
      • The Greenwash Files
      • An Essential Guide to Avoiding Greenwashing
    • Sustainability Issues | Sustainability Trends
      • 2020 Sustainability Issues
      • Trends in sustainable business 2019
      • Sustainability Trends in 2018
      • 2017 – What are the big sustainability issues?
  • Sustainability Books
    • Sustainability Innovation
You are here: Home / News / The Diesel and petrol car ban has been brought forward!

The Diesel and petrol car ban has been brought forward!

Climate action is heating up – today Boris Johnson announced a diesel and petrol car ban as part of the launch of the next round of climate talks at Glasgow’s COP26 in November 2020 (subsequently postponed to 2021).

Diesel and petrol car ban 2035

Diesel and petrol car ban - retro energy, petrol pump

Johnson announced a tightening of policy on diesel and petrol (internal combustion engine [ICE]) cars. Due to be banned in 2040, they are now to be banned for sale from 2035. But there were further surprises, hybrid cars are now also specifically included.

The new timetable brings the UK into line with other countries; Norway is aiming for 2025 (although this is a non-binding target) and France 2040.

While this policy appears to be mainly driven (sorry) by the climate agenda, there will also be local benefits in terms of reducing air pollution.

Alternative energy…

Because hybrids (and plug-in hybrids) are to go in 15 years, cars must be replaced by electric (BEV) or hydrogen powered vehicles. Currently there is limited choice of these vehicles and the purchase price can be prohibitive – although running costs can be lower. Paradoxically, it can be more difficult to find charging points now then it was 5 years ago when there were even fewer electric cars on the road.

More uncertainty

However, all is not rosy. Claire O’Neill, former energy minister, criticised Johnson after being sacked from heading the climate conference – saying on BBC Radio:

“My advice to anybody to whom Boris is making promises – whether it is voters, world leaders, ministers, employees or indeed family members – is to get it in writing, get a lawyer to look at it, and make sure the money is in the bank.”

The UK government has been giving mixed signals on this issue, it removed and reduced electric car subsidies in 2018, but is planning to introduce significant company car incentives for electric vehicles in Summer 2020.

The apparent increase in ambition to hit carbon targets should be welcomed. It will be challenging for car makers and charging providers to meet, but possible.

The SMMT said accelerating the transition could be damaging to the motor industry and certainly manufacturers will feel caught between European fleet targets for CO2 and a narrow window for using hybrids before they’re rendered redundant.

What seems to be lacking is a plan – and an underlying industrial strategy. Last year Honda announced exit from the UK as an unattractive location to build electric vehicles – these circumstances need to change.

We have a goal – 2035 can considered as something of a moonshot. We now need investment, collaboration and joined-up thinking across government and industry.

O’Neill highlights a critical aspect. Trust in government & other bodies is declining, declarations and goals must be followed up to rebuild this.

DISCOVER MORE | Sustainability Issues

Image of a coffee cup being hit by a coffee pod and splashing coffee

Coffee ads banned for misleading ‘compostable’ claims

Two major coffee brands, Lavazza and Dualit, have had their adverts banned by the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for making misleading claims that their coffee pods and bags were ‘compostable’.
The ASA found that both companies gave the false impression that these products could be …

Carbon-neutral-communications - mage of a carbon neutral cloud under pressure from 3 forces (Regulation, Net Zero and Expectations

Carbon Neutral Communications

Despite considerable regulatory focus on carbon neutral claims, companies are still getting their communications wrong, so what is happening?
While many large companies now appear wary of making claims about carbon neutrality, we can still see considerable focus on these in the SME space, some …

Reputational Risk - stylised photo of fox - an animal with a mixed reputation!

Reputation risk and sustainability – who do you work with?

Reputation is widely regarded as one the most valuable assets of an organisation. Sustainability can also be an important contributor to both reputation and several dimensions of business value.
In this article we explore different dimensions of reputational risk, how it might be affected and how …

Sustainable Aviation?

On the 28 November 2023, the first long-haul passenger plane powered with ‘sustainable’ air fuel took off. SAF offers an ostensibly attractive path for decarbonisation for the airline industry – the lifecycle greenhouse emissions can be up to 70% lower than conventional fossil-based fuels.

While …

Greenwashing risks - routes and relationships

Greenwashing – dimensions of risk

Greenwashing – misleading communications on sustainability issues – has various dimensions of risk, but these are often overlooked, and their implications are insufficiently examined.
While greenwashing may appear as simply irritating, it actually causes a range of harm and presents multiple …

Sustainable transition waiting for the underpant gnomes

Sustainable transition – waiting for the underpants gnomes?

Dramatic changes are needed in business and industry to head off coming poly crises and build a prosperous future for the growing global population.
But plans for this ‘sustainable transition’ are few and far between and often lack credible substance to bridge the link between ambition and action. …

strategic-greenwashing-is-your-strategy-plausible

Avoiding strategic greenwashing – why your business strategy must be plausible

Worldwide regulators are tightening up on strategic greenwashing to protect consumers, business and market integrity. As further examples arise there is more, we can learn about what regulators will tolerate and what they require of companies.

Put simply, any leeway for general feel-good …

Global-Risks-2023

WEF Global Risks 2023 – What’s new and what’s changed?

While big picture environmental threats of climate change, nature loss and ecosystem collapse remain long term risks, geopolitical instability and the current cost-of-living crisis challenges present emerging challenges to the chance for global consensus and coordinated action.
The WEF (World …

Sustainable-Business-Challenges 2023

2023 sustainable business trends and challenges – what to watch out for

From avoiding greenwashing to facing soaring business costs, 2023 is set to be a challenging year for most business leaders to navigate.
Regulators, customers and consumers have increasing expectations for good quality, consistent information on sustainability. Communication must be accurate and …

Sustainable-value-creation

Sustainable value creation

Understanding the relationship between your organisation and the wider world, and identifying which issues, trends, dependencies and risks are material (important) to your business future is critical. Not just for measuring and managing impact, but also for developing resilience and responding to …

Article by: Dominic Tantram Topic: News, Sustainability Issues

About Dominic Tantram

Dominic is a founding partner at Terrafiniti, helping companies cut through complexity & deliver on sustainability goals worldwide.
View all posts by Dominic Tantram ->

Previous Post:Business-Purpose-SustainabilitySustainability Issues 2020 | Business Purpose
Next Post:Trust in business? – 5 key things you must get rightTrust - having values and sticking to them

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sidebar

Who Are We?

We are sustainability consultants helping companies transform purpose and performance.

Sustainability Services
Sustainability Strategy
Sustainability Training
Sustainability Reporting
Sustainability Benchmarking

FREE Resources

DEVELOP your sustainability approach – with these insight-packed free guides

DEVELOP your sustainability approach – with these insight-packed free guides

Toward 9 billion Sustainability ebooks Towards 9 Billion Sustainability Books | Innovation for a sustainable future Big ideas, provocations and practical guidance at the cutting edge of sustainability Toward 9 billion Sustainability ebooks
“Short, sharp, accessible insights on what the future might look like and how you should prepare for it.”

Mike Barry, Director - Plan A, Marks & Spencer plc

Categories

  • Blog
  • Innovation
  • News
    • Events
  • Practical Guidance
    • Hints and Tips
    • Tools and Solutions
  • Provocations, Thoughts and Big Ideas
    • Natural Capital
    • Provocations
    • Redefining Value
    • Towards 9 Billion
  • Responsible Communications
  • Satire
  • Sustainability Issues
  • Sustainability Professionals Resilience Group | SPRG
  • Sustainability Reporting
  • Sustainability Shorts
  • Sustainable Business Management
  • Sustainable Business Strategy
  • Sustainable Economics & Finance
  • Sustainable Products
  • Sustainable Transformation
    • Context & Limits
    • Innovation & Transformation
    • Sustainable Change
    • Sustainable energy
    • Sustainable Value
  • Training and skills

Recent Posts

  • Coffee ads banned for misleading ‘compostable’ claims
  • What is Responsible Communication?
  • What is Sustainability Training – and Why is it Important?
  • Carbon Neutral Communications
  • Reputation risk and sustainability – who do you work with?

Terrafiniti LLP

Guildford Institute, Ward Street, Guildford, Surrey. GU1 4LH. United Kingdom

Telephone: +44 (0) 7976 626 544

Email us

  • Consulting In Sustainability
  • About Us
  • Insights
  • News
  • Privacy Notice
  • Our Services
  • Sustainable Business
  • Customers
  • Sustainability Books

twitter  Follow us on Twitter

Link In with Joss Tantram  Connect with us on LinkedIn

1% for the planet

Consulting Website Design by PIXEL PERFECT

Copyright © 2025 · Terrafiniti