Spain has already set a date for the ban on diesel and gasoline cars

The Plenary of the Congress of Deputies approved, on May 13, the Law on Climate Change and Energy Transition of Spain, which establishes the objectives to achieve the full decarbonization of the Spanish economy before 2050.

Among the different objectives pursued by this law, the ambitious plan that has been drawn up to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions stands out. To achieve this, the Government has set itself the goal of cutting at least 23% of CO2 emissions by ₂₀₃₀ compared to 1990 levels and for this purpose several very specific measures have been specified in the field of mobility.

One of the most controversial measures has been to achieve by 2050 “a fleet of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles without direct _CO2 emissions”. To this end, the text foresees that the necessary measures will be adopted, in accordance with the regulations of the European Union, so that these vehicles, except those registered as historical and those that are intended for commercial uses, “gradually reduce their emissions, so that no later than the year 2040 they are vehicles with emissions of 0 g CO₂/km established in accordance with Community legislation”.

Although it is not explicit in the text, this measure means that from 2040 new diesel, gasoline and hybrid cars will no longer be sold. So we will stick with pure electric or fuel cell propulsion technologies.

The government aims to cut at least 23% _{of CO2} emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 levels

For the Spanish Association of Automobile and Truck Manufacturers (ANFAC), the approval of this law is a very necessary fact “because it configures a national regulatory framework and sets long-term objectives”. He also emphasizes that “there is a full commitment on the part of the sector and we will continue working with the Government to generate a framework and an environment that allows us to advance in an inclusive decarbonization, which maintains the powerful automotive industry in Spain and quality employment”.

For his part, Raul Morales, director of communication of the Federation of Associations of Automotive Dealers (Faconauto), explained to La Vanguardia that Faconauto also values positively that a national framework is established with medium and long-term objectives for the progressive decarbonization of the mobility sector, always in line with the guidelines set by the European Union.

“The distribution sector is committed to the progressive decarbonization objectives, also shared by manufacturers, and we work so that this transition is orderly and fair for all citizens and their mobility needs,” said Morales, who believes that “at this time of transition the new Law clarifies the context, but in relation to mobility, the essential thing is to bridge the distance that the citizen feels from the electrified vehicle.”

In this sense, it values the prescribing role of dealers because they are the ones who serve the consumer and clarify the doubts they may have regarding the electrification of cars.

The measure contemplates that from 2040 diesel, gasoline and hybrid cars will no longer be sold

On the other hand, social and environmental NGOs such as Climate Strategy, ECODES, International Institute of Law and Environment, Renewables Foundation, SEO / BirdLife and Transport & Environment have also celebrated the approval of the law and consider that it “lays the foundations” to be able to face the climate emergency in the coming years.

However, they criticize that finally the ban on combustion cars has not been brought forward to 2035 because 2040 is “incoherent” in their opinion. Likewise, Greenpeace puts on the table the fact that the Law gives “free rein to the possibility of the indiscriminate use of “alternative fuels throughout the transport sector and allows the promotion of fossil gas for road transport”.

In the same vein, the spokesman of Ecodes, Cristian Quílez, has shown his “disappointment” for the low ambition and concreteness of the articles related to the transport and mobility sector. From Transport & Environment, Carlos Bravo, has expressed that although the transport sector is the one that contributes the most to climate change in Spain, with almost 30% of total greenhouse gas emissions in 2019, the Law on Climate Change and Energy Transition “has not given this sector due importance”.

“There is no mention of zero-emission mobility in heavy freight transport or a firm commitment to zero-emission fuels in maritime transport,” denounces Bravo, who believes that this is a “serious mistake” because the law opens the door to the use of electrofuels in road transport, something that in his opinion is a “very inefficient and expensive” option.

Another of the measures that the law has incorporated is the introduction of measures to promote ecological urban mobility in municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants in 2023, at most. Among these measures is the creation of low-emission zones in these localities such as those currently in force in cities such as Madrid and Barcelona, which were pioneers in this section. In this article we explain which will be the 149 Spanish localities that will have to incorporate ZBE.

Source: The Vanguard