Governments, automakers, investors and other stakeholders are pledging to accelerate the shift to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) during Transport Day at COP26, Kallanish reports.

A global declaration signed on 10 November by 23 countries and many companies and organisations targets all sales of new cars and vans being zero emission globally by 2040. In “leading markets,” the deadline is no later than 2035.

“Collectively, we commit to supporting a global, equitable and just transition so that no country or community is left behind. Where we represent leading markets, we will work to strengthen our international support offer for developing countries, emerging markets, and transitional economies – including, where applicable, through technical assistance, finance, and capacity building,” states the declaration.  

Signatories say they will work together to overcome strategic, political, and technical barriers. They will accelerate the production of ZEVs and increase economies of scale to make the transition “faster, lower cost, and easier for everyone.”

The non-binding pledge is seen as good step towards achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement and keeping global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. However, critics see it as a simply symbolic act.

Campaign group Transport & Environment (T&E) notes that the pledge needs to be backed up with actual targets set in legislation.

“With China, the US, Germany and France absent [from the signatories list], it will take more than a non-binding declaration to clean up the largest source of transport pollution,” it adds.

DevicePilot, a service monitoring and management platform for EV chargepoint operators, warns that 2040 is “too late, too lax.”

Company ceo Pilgrim Beart says: “We urgently need a global commitment to emissions free vehicles. Today’s pledge is a start, but it sounds more ambitious in theory than in practice. 2040 is a long way away and the remarkable growth of the EV industry in recent years has made it easy for countries to support this date.”

Support for the proposed phase out of internal combustion engines have been mixed in the governmental and industry fronts. Germany, a major promoter of electric vehicles and home for giant carmakers Volkswagen Group and BMW Group, isn’t a signatory to the declaration. Nor is France, Spain or Italy – Europe’s largest automotive markets. Carmakers Stellantis and Hyundai Motor Group are also out of the declaration.

Volvo Cars, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar Land Rover, Ford Motor, General Motors, BYD Auto and MOBI are some of the carmakers backing the ZEV ambition. Despite the US, South Korea and Brazil not being part of the declaration, cities such as New York, San Diego, Atlanta, Sejong City, Seoul, Ulsan, and Sao Paulo are signatories.