Tesco, Heathrow and E.ON join growing calls for 2030 fossil fuel car sales ban

Tesco, Dixons Carphone, E.ON, Heathrow, Lime and SSE have today joined the growing band of corporates calling on the UK government to pull forward the phase out date for fossil fuel vehicle sales by five years to 2030.

The government, which is reportedly set to announce an earlier ban on petrol and diesel car sales later this week, has already faced a volley of calls from green groups, the Labour Party, backbench MPs and even oil and gas majors to embrace a 2030 target date, which would put the UK in line with Ireland, the Netherlands and Germany.

And now Tesco is among a growing group of corporates to join the chorus, calling on ministers to "fast-track" the move to zero emissions vehicles as it revealed that it has signed up to the Climate Group's EV100 campaign, which commits signatories to fully decarbonising their fleets by 2030.

"The electrification of transport is crucial to becoming a zero carbon business by 2035 in the UK and 2050 globally, and we will need collaboration across industry and government through the likes of EV100 in order to overcome the barriers to transition together," said Giles Bolton, responsible sourcing director at Tesco.

Bolton said the EV100 campaign complemented Tesco's plans to transition to 100 per cent electric vans and to roll out EV charging infrastructure across its UK stores.

The supermarket is among a number of businesses to today join the UK Electric Fleets Coalition partnership, which is calling on government to embrace the 2030 deadline while taking action to boost charging point infrastructure and the supply of electric vehicles (EVs).

Dixons Carphone, E.On, Heathrow, Lime and SSE have also today joined the coalition, which was launched earlier this year by BT Group and green business non-profit The Climate Group.

All 27 members of the parternship have today backed newspaper adverts supporting a 2030 ban on sales of internal combustion engine cars and vans.

Their appeal for the 2030 date comes less than a week after Labour and green groups Green Alliance and Greenpeace urged the government to pull forward its target, with the latter warning that the UK's ability to meet its net zero carbon emissions ambition was at stake.

Helen Clarkson, chief executive of The Climate Group, said the UK must "set an example" ahead of the UN climate talks it is set to host in Glasgow next year by taking "bold action" that could help slash global emissions in half by 2030.

"Of course, it's not as simple as just setting a target," Clarkson added. "More government action is needed to support manufacturing of EVs and to unlock infrastructure investment. But both come with a big dividend for UK jobs. We're in the middle of global recession - the climate can't wait and our economy can't wait." 

Tesco's new green initiatives come on the second day of Climate Week NYC, the international climate summit hosted by The Climate Group, and days ahead of a major address by the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the UN General Assembly.

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