Global Zero Emission Vehicle Transition Council meets for first time

A new council of ministers and representatives from across some of the world’s largest and most advanced EV marketplaces have come together for their first meeting.

The new Zero Emission Vehicle Transition Council, hosted by the president of next year’s COP26 climate event, UK business minister Alok Sharma, discussed how to accelerate the pace of the global transition to zero emission vehicles.

The ministers and representatives agreed to collectively address some of the key challenges in the transition to EVs, enabling the transition to be faster, cheaper, and easier for all.  

The Council was made up of Ministers and representatives from California, Canada, Denmark, European Commission, France, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, South Korea and Sweden, the United Kingdom.

The following joint statement was released after the council meeting:

  1. A rapid global transition to zero emission vehicles is vital to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change.
  2. In response to this global challenge and historic opportunity, the Zero Emission Vehicles Transition Council discussed how to increase the pace of the transition, including cross-working and partnerships to accelerate the shift.
  3. The new forum will be used to coordinate efforts. The group said it will act together to overcome strategic, political and technical barriers, accelerate the production of zero emission vehicles, and increase economies of scale. The countries will also boost investment, bring down costs and increase the uptake of zero emission vehicles and the many economic, social and environmental benefits it brings.
  4. Additionally it said it would explore specific opportunities for collaboration, including: aligning the future of the road transport sector with Paris Agreement goals; ensuring the transition to zero emission vehicles is truly global, leaving no country or region behind; ensuring the lifecycle of zero emission vehicles is sustainable and inclusive; ensuring the enabling infrastructure is in place; coordinating innovation.

The group also recognised that the impact of the coronavirus pandemic meat that decisions would be critical for laying the foundations of sustainable growth. It committed to ensuring recovery plans support an accelerated transition to zero emission vehicles as part of broader efforts to boost growth and employment.

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