IT seems highly likely that a proposed ban on the importation of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 will be dropped – meaning that both new and second-hand fossil-fuel vehicles will be allowed to be brought into the Island from that date.
The ban on new and used cars was proposed in the government’s Carbon Neutral Roadmap, a States-approved document which charts how the Island will achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
However, last month Environment Minister Steve Luce dropped the ‘used’ part of the equation, while also hinting that the ‘new’ element was also in doubt.
His decision on that, he said, would be confirmed by the end of this month.
Yesterday, questioned by the Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel, Deputy Luce came as close as he could to confirming that choice – saying that he was “taking a punt” by “getting to the same place by taking a different route”.
He said: “I think we can avoid expensive legislation because, as all our new and most of our used cars come from the UK, you will not be able to get one anyway.”
This was because, he said, the UK did intend to ban cars with an internal combustion engine and were “committed to electric vehicles”.
Behaviour change would be driven by UK manufacturers, he continued.
The minister added that the Island had “other tools in its toolbox” to encourage the uptake of greener vehicles, including Vehicle Emissions Duty and coming up with more precise definitions for the different types of hybrid vehicles.
Deputy Luce said another reason for the lifting of the ban proposal was to provide more of a “just transition” to carbon neutrality, especially as electric vehicles were still generally more expensive than petrol or diesel alternatives.
The Deputy conceded that whoever became the next Environment Minister come the summer might be disappointed with the new and used ban – a central policy of the Carbon Neutral Roadmap – falling away, but added that the Island would “still reach Point A but just by another way.”
At the hearing of the Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Panel, Deputy Luce was also asked about VED for motorhomes, which can be as high as £12,500 for a vehicle that is rarely used on Island roads.
Deputy Luce suggested that the time to review that was when the Treasury was looking at new charges to replace fuel duty revenue lost by more people driving electric cars.
More than 2,000 people responded when asked for views on the proposed ban of new and used fossil-fuel-burning vehicles – the most engagement ever in a formal government consultation
