UK prepone planned ban of new gasoline, diesel cars by 5 years

The United Kingdom has decided to ban the sale of new gasoline and diesel cars beyond 2030, five years earlier than the planned date, to deal with the climate crisis and help cut the country's carbon emissions to "net zero" by 2050.

"We have a responsibility to our planet to lead," Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a speech in London that launched the next UN climate conference, COP26, which is to be held in Scotland later this year, as quoted by CNN.

Strikingly, hybrid vehicles will also come under the latest plan of the UK government.

This decision comes at the backdrop of ambiguity on the matter of whether the government would continue to subsidise sales of electric vehicles or not.

"It is extremely concerning that government has seemingly moved the goalposts for consumers and industry on such a critical issue," Mike Hawes, the chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said in a statement.

"With the current demand for this, still expensive technology still just a fraction of sales, it's clear that accelerating an already very challenging ambition will take more than industry investment," he added.

The latest decision puts the UK in a select group of countries marching ahead in the race to phase out of cars run by fossil fuels.

COP26 conference will be held in Glasgow from November 9 till November 19 this year under the presidency of the UK government.