A coalition spanning the health, transport and climate sectors has issued a direct warning to the Government against weakening the UK’s Zero Emission Vehicle mandate.
It says any weakening as an “unnecessary act of economic self-harm” that threatens public health and green industrial growth. The warning comes as the UK and devolved governments consult on options to lower the annual percentage of new cars and vans that must be zero-emissions in the run-up to the deadline.
About 30 leading organisations, including WWF, Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, have urged the Government to stay the course on current EV transition laws. The organisations highlight that the mandate is not only a vital environmental policy but a cornerstone of national energy security and economic strategy.
The signatories include: The Climate Coalition, whose members include some of the largest member-based organisations in the UK, with a collective membership of 20 million people: Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, whose members include the Church of Scotland, the Scottish Wildlife Trust and RSPB Scotland and Climate Cymru, whose members include the Nature Friendly Farming Network, Save the Children Wales and the British Heart Foundation Cymru.
In total, the signatories represent hundreds of organisations that themselves represent millions of British people.
