New petrol and diesel cars to be banned from 2030 under green plan

New petrol and diesel cars will be banned from 2030 as the UK government launches a ‘green industrial revolution’.

The £4 billion strategy – designed to tackle global warming and make Britain more energy-efficient – will include a ban on the sale of cars or vans that run entirely on fuel.

There will be some exceptions for some hybrid vehicles.

Shifting the UK into a nation of battery-powered cars within a decade will prove to be a significant challenge, with electric-powered cars currently making up less than 1% of vehicles on the roads today.

However, the ban on petrol and diesel cars is just one part of a much bigger plan for the country – which will also see investment in nuclear, hydrogen and wind energy sectors whilst creating thousands of new jobs.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated: “My 10-point plan will create, support and protect hundreds of thousands of green jobs, whilst making strides towards net zero by 2050.

“Our green industrial revolution will be powered by the wind turbines of Scotland and the North East, propelled by the electric vehicles made in the Midlands and advanced by the latest technologies developed in Wales, so we can look ahead to a more prosperous, greener future.”

The summary of the plan is as follows:

1. Offshore wind: Harness enough offshore wind to power all homes, quadruple production to 40GW by 2030, supporting up to 60,000 jobs
2. Hydrogen: Develop the first town heated entirely by hydrogen by 2030
3. Nuclear: Develop the next generation of small and advanced reactors and create 10,000 jobs
4. Electric vehicles: Speed up transition to electric vehicles
5. Public transport, cycling and walking: Invest in zero-emission public transport and promote cycling/walking
6. Jet Zero and greener maritime: Support research projects for zero-emission planes/ships
7. Homes and public buildings: Make buildings greener, create 50,000 jobs by 2030, and install 600,000 heat pumps every year by 2028
8. Carbon capture: Remove 10MT of carbon dioxide by 2030
9. Nature: Plant 30,000 hectares of trees every year, creating and retaining thousands of jobs
10. Innovation and finance: Develop tech needed for the plan and make the City of London the global centre of green finance