63 per cent of Europe’s city residents support a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars after 2030, according to a recent YouGov poll.
People across 15 cities in eight countries, including Paris, Budapest and London, took an online survey on whether they supported ending the sale of petrol and diesel cars.
Rome had the biggest support with an overwhelming 77 per cent of people in favour of emission-free cars only to sold in the near future.
On average 29 per cent of people opposed the idea, alongside eight per cent who said they didn’t know.
This comes after Belguim, Denmark, Ireland and six other EU countries urged the European Commission to set a date for the phasing out for internal combustion engines earlier this year.
The commission is set to propose tougher emission limits on vehicles, with the phasing out of combustion engine vehicles being considered in an upcoming review of CO2 standards of cars and vans.
Julia Poliscanova, senior director for vehicles and e-mobility at T&E, the Brussels-based campaign organisation that commissioned the survey, commented: ‘People in cities are the most exposed to toxic levels of air pollution, and they do not want internal combustion engines to be sold for any longer than is necessary.’
Poliscanova reinforced that these survey findings strongly suggest the European Commission need to set a date for an EU-wide ban on the sale of new cars with internal combustion engines: ‘Politicians should listen to the people, who say they are ready for the full transition to zero-emission vehicles as soon as 2030. This summer the European Commission should propose an EU-wide end date for selling cars with internal combustion engines.’
