Minister pushed to ban sale of petrol cars

Thursday 30 May 2019

The Minister in charge of transport in Jersey is being pushed to set a date to finally ban all new petrol and diesel cars.

The calls come from the National Trust – one of Jersey’s largest environmental preservation groups – in a critical open letter sent to Deputy Kevin Lewis, the Minister for Infrastructure.

Penned by Trust President Georgina Malet de Carteret, the letter slams the government for failing to keep to agreed targets set in a plan to reduce the island’s carbon footprint, resulting in emissions actually rising 4% between 2015 and 2016.

The letter also notes that in 2017, Jersey had only achieved 14% of the set target for electric and hybrid cars in ‘Pathway 2050’.

Pictured: The letter notes that the island is falling behind its electric vehicle commitments.

Ms Malet de Carteret accuses the Minister’s department for a “distinct lack of clarity” on how it intends to reach its green ambitions, and further hits out at the plan itself for setting targets as “neither substantive nor ambitious in nature”.

“Road safety measures, tractor driving training and Jersey Post acquiring 15 electric vehicles, are all desirable in themselves, but they are never going to help secure an additional 5,000 LEVs [electric vehicles] by 2020,” the letter read.

“In addition the Vehicle Emission Duty is being increased (namely the stick is being applied), but the additional revenue being generated is apparently not being ringfenced to be used as a “carrot” to encourage additional LEV take-up. In many ways this approach appears nonsensical and the results of this policy to date would appear to support this view.”

While the letter described the Minister’s recent declaration in the States Assembly that he intended the island’s bus fleet to become fully electric as a “very important and significant step in the right direction”, it was clear that setting a target for Jersey to go fully electric should be the main ambition.

Ms Malet de Carteret explained that Jersey Electricity had offered £150,000 – subject to match funding from the government – to go towards a programme to incentivise electric vehicle use.

Pictured: The letter calls for Jersey to follow the suit of other countries and ban new diesel and petrol cars.

“Whilst accepting that great care has to be taken to ensure that this does not simply become a subsidy for those wealthy enough to purchase an LEV, we are certain that your Department and the JEC can come up with a proposal to ensure that these funds are directed and targeted appropriately. In addition, a small increase in fuel duty could be used in a similar manner to incentivise additional take-up.”

With numerous countries having set targets to ban new diesel and petrol cars - Costa Rica 2021, Norway 2025, India 2030, Germany 2030, Britain 2040, China 2040 and France 2040 – she concluded with a resounding call for Jersey to join them.

“Surely the time has come for Jersey to set itself a target.

“In doing so, everyone will then have the opportunity to adapt and plan accordingly, but also the JEC will be able to put the necessary infrastructure in place and budget accordingly.”

It comes after the States Assembly voted in favour of declaring a climate change emergency on the island.

Following the letter, Deputy Lewis commented: “This is policy in progress, which will require significant change for many islanders. Work has already started, and there will be engagement with the many people who will be affected by it in due course. The States Assembly recently agreed to carbon neutrality by 2030, and the electrification of vehicles will be a significant part of our work in reaching that ambitious target.”

READ: Click below to read the full National Trust letter...