Greenpeace manifesto sets out measures to speed up EV transition

A new Greenpeace manifesto sets out what the government can do to tackle both the coronavirus recession and the climate emergency.

A Green Recovery: How We Get There calls for transformative recovery packages, funding and policy changes across a range of priority areas, including clean transport.

Greenpeace sets out a series of policy measures to rapidly speed up the transition to electric vehicles and the electrification of public transport.

It says the the Department for Transport (DfT) should commit to banning the sale of  new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030, increase public procurement of electric vehicles, and mandate local authority leadership in rolling out charging infrastructure. The government should also collaborate with vehicle manufacturers, unions and local authorities to deliver a production facility for vehicle battery manufacture.

The manifesto calls for the redesign of transport in a way that is better for public health and the climate, helping to avoid a dangerous rise in air pollution as lockdown restrictions are eased.

The report also says that cancelling the road-building programme and HS2 would free up £133 billion currently allocated for these damaging projects, enabling the government to deliver this transformation of our streets, as well as provide free public transport and increase investment in buses and trains, to support a reduction in the use of private cars.