Electric vehicles help reduce total emissions in Norway by 3.5% in 2020
Norway is deeply committed to the electric vehicle revolution. Of any country in the world, it has the most comprehensive electric car incentive system. It includes big things like no purchase tax on new electric cars to little things like reduced fares on bridges, tunnels, and highways. These policies were put in place to help Norway reduce its total greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with the Paris climate agreements.
According to Statistics Norway’s latest report, these electric vehicle policies are working. In 2020, the country’s total emissions were 49.3 million tonnes, a reduction of 3.5% from the previous year. Now let’s be clear, 2020 has been an unusual year due to the pandemic and all the societal changes it has brought about. Global emissions have declined due to workplace and travel restrictions. Nonetheless, electric vehicles have still helped reduce emissions.
Elbil, the Norwegian Electric Car Association, says the greater number of electric cars on Norwegian roads was a big factor in the reduction. In fact, vehicle emissions fell by 4% in 2020 compared to 2019. According to Statistics Norway, the transport sector accounts for 30% of Norway’s greenhouse gas emissions, of which just over half – 17% – from road traffic. He attributes the drop in part to fewer kilometers driven and in part to the fact that there are many more electric cars on the road. Recently, we reported that for the first time, more electric vehicles were using the toll roads around Oslo than gasoline-powered cars.
Unni Berge, communications manager for Elbil, says: “This shows once again that the electric car policy we are pursuing in Norway is one of the most effective climate measures we have, and underlines the need to continue this policy as much as possible until that we have almost the entire fleet. electrified. “
She adds that she hopes the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow will lead to new agreements that will accelerate the transition to electric transport. “There is an urgent need to find effective strategies to reduce emissions. The transport sector accounts for more than 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and these emissions must be eliminated over the coming decades.
“Norway is leading the way for other countries by having the world’s most ambitious phase-in target for emission-free passenger cars and vans and has the strictest policies in place as well. We see year after year that this translates into emission reductions. “
“We find that the road traffic emissions statistics are in line with the trend we have seen from the fuel sales statistics. For the period 2017-2019, it was found for the first time in history that the total sales of diesel and gasoline in Norway fell three years in a row, ”she said.
Ingrid Dahl Hovland of the Norwegian Public Roads Administration said in June when releasing preliminary statistics for 2020: “Emissions are falling because more and more people choose to buy electric and hybrid cars and because of ‘an increase in the mixture of biofuels. This shows that we are on the right track towards the goal that all new passenger cars will be zero emission vehicles by 2025. ”
Berge adds: “Now that the final figures are mostly confirmed, it only remains to establish that the electrification is working. And that’s only to expect an even bigger drop in road traffic emissions figures this year and in the years to come. “
Norway has shown what strong government policies can accomplish. It is now up to the rest of the world to learn from Norway’s experience and develop their own equally strong policies. The problem is not an intrinsic love of electric vehicles. The problem is that gasoline and diesel vehicles contribute a significant proportion of all greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions not only cause the planet to overheat, but also make millions of people sick and shorten life expectancy. They make our life easier, that’s for sure, but at what cost?
Thanks to Are Hansen for sharing this Elbil story with us.
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