A report from Climate Action Tracker notes that buying gas-powered cars will have to stop by 2035. That’s if we want to achieve the 2 degrees Celsius target aimed by world leaders at the Paris summit last year.
Climate change is a real thing, and it’s having real world effects. Despite the massive movement denying the results of climate change, the world really is warming up, leading to increasing global temperatures that are shattering records.
But what will it take to put a stop to human-induced climate change? One report is suggesting that we have to stop selling gas-powered cars, and we have to do it by 2035. The report from Climate Action Tracker (CAT) determined that we have to stop buying gas-powered cars by that date to achieve the 2°C ceiling agreed upon by world leaders in the Paris climate accords last year.
The report highlighted the enormous potential electric vehicles (EVs) have to contribute to this goal. Most (if not all) major car manufacturers are developing an electric vehicle line, not to mention the massive advancements made by Tesla.
There is also the need for a parallel shift in the power industry towards renewables. The report noted that achieving the 2035 target will be for naught if the electric vehicles were being powered by electricity generated by coal or diesel plants.
CAT also notes other avenues at vehicle development, including cars powered by hydrogen.
A TOUGH GOAL
This target illustrates the massive shifts that have to be strictly adhered to if we are to meet climate targets. “It’s striking that it’s so early – it means a huge change in the whole automobile industry,” Niklas Höhne, of the NewClimate Institute, told Reuters.
The EV field will have to mature quickly if it is to be a viable alternative to gas power. The report notes that adoption is hampered by pricing. Pricier EVs are keeping adoption rates at just 5% in the US, EU, and China.
In the end, a huge global effort will have to be made if we are to have a chance at stopping and reversing the harmful effects of global warming.