In an attempt to eliminate pollution and make the environment safe for a sustainable future, the Netherlands has announced that its lawmakers will hold a roundtable discussion to look at how to ban petrol and diesel cars outright in the country, as early as 2025.
In March 2016, the Dutch Labor Party proposed the ambitious law in the Dutch parliament. Already, the draft of the law has been approved by the lower house of parliament and sent to the senate. A date has been set for the senate to hold further discussion, after which the bill is expected to be passed to become law.
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If the Netherlands gets this law through, it would join Norway and Denmark in making a concerted move to develop its electric car industry, abandoning conventional fossil fuel-powered cars. In July 2016, it emerged in Denmark that the country is producing 140% of its electricity needs through wind power, making electric cars very viable in the country. The Netherlands’ neighbor, Germany is also busy phasing out nuclear and fossil fuels. The country is replacing them with renewable energies such as solar and wind. In June 2016, France also began enforcing a ban on all cars built before 1997. This makes Europe first in the race to reducing and completely eliminating fossil fuels.
Elsewhere, in Asia, both India and China have urged their citizens to use their cars on alternate days, only to reduce the exhaust fume production that is causing serious health problems for the populations of both nations.
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The roundtable discussion on the new law being proposed in the Netherlands has schedule on October 13, 2016. Observers say it clearly looks like all political actors and citizens in the Netherlands have agreed on the need to cut down pollution in the country, in order to save the environment for the future generation.
It is said the initial proposed law was aiming to prohibit the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, but the law was later altered to exclude cars already in use.
The Labor Party member who first proposed the law, Jan Vos told journalists after the final date was set for the roundtable discussion on the law in the senate. “We need to phase out CO2 emissions and we need to change our pattern of using fossil fuels if we want to save the Earth. Transportation with your own car shouldn’t be something that only rich people can afford,” she said.
Some politicians also admitted that the law will improve the country as electric cars are feasible for all citizens of the country.
The Dutch government is reportedly looking at ways to make preparation for the boom in electric cars in the country. The government is currently making preparations to increase the number of charging stations for electric cars across the country.
Already, the Netherlands is said to have one of the lowest levels of CO2 emissions from new cars, among all European Union member states. The country frequently encourages its citizens to use bicycles, rather than cars. In 2015, the country joined the International Zero-Emission Vehicle Alliance, which aims to make all new vehicles use electric power by 2050.
The principle adviser in sustainable transport at the Dutch renewable technology company, TNO said the Dutch government is committed to meeting the Paris climate change agreement to reduce greenhouse emissions by 80% less than the 1990 level.
Dr Richard Smokers was quoted by The Independent as saying: “The current government embraces long term targets and strives at meeting EU requirements”.
Climate change and environmental activists have welcomed the initiative taken by the Dutch people to heavily reduce their greenhouse emissions.
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