World’s largest transportation coalition includes over 200 signatories of governments and private sector stakeholders to supercharge transportation emissions ambitions initiated at COP26

Today witnessed the launch of the Accelerating to Zero (A2Z) Coalition on Solutions Day at COP27 in Egypt. This is the largest transportation coalition which is a step up from the Zero Emissions Declaration created at COP26 last year. More than 200 stakeholders including national governments, state, city and regional governments, global and regional manufacturers, fleet owners and operators, investors and financial institutions have joined the coalition which aims to together work towards ensuring that all sales of new cars and vans are zero emission globally by 2040, and by 2035 in leading markets. India too has joined this coalition and committed to this target.

The A2Z Coalition connects the world’s leading organizations on zero-emission transportation, creating a platform to support in understanding, developing, and implementing ambitious zero-emission transportation policies and plans, and showcase leadership

Since COP26, there has been a global growth of 95% across the electric vehicles market. While this is encouraging and worth celebrating, climate experts say that to achieve zero emission transport, the share of sales of electric vehicles will need to grow 5 times faster for passenger vehicles, 10 times faster for electric buses, and even more rapidly for freight. A BloombergNEF’s report published today highlights the significant growth of EVs in the last year, but it also sounds a note of caution as progress on new commitments to ZEV from both automakers and governments is showing signs of slowing down. It warns that the world must not rest on this early success, and continue to introduce enabling policies and hold automakers accountable for committing to a ZEV future.

Nigel Topping, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for the UK, COP26, said: “Accelerating the transition to a sustainable and clean transport sector should be a top priority for governments and businesses. We’re glad to launch the A2Z Coalition as a platform that builds on the positive momentum achieved by the ZEV Declaration to increase commitments and support the declaration signatories. We call on more non-state actors to come forward next year and make and implement ambitious commitments to transition to zero-emission vehicles and reap the benefits of cleaner air, jobs, economic growth, and keeping our Paris Agreement goals within reach”.

“Road transportation shows an encouraging trend toward e-mobility, but must urgently and drastically pick up pace to meet our global climate goals. The A2Z Coalition is a powerful new way to generate the momentum and the implementation support needed to realize the shift to zero-emission transportation” said Rachel Muncrief, Deputy Director of the International Council on Clean Transportation. 

“Zero-emission transportation is the future” said Dr. Monica Araya, an international e-mobility expert and part of the A2Z core team, “to meet the Paris agreement with a just transition, it is imperative to increase ambition from major emitters while mobilizing support for emerging markets. At Drive Electric, we celebrate and support this coalition of developed and developing countries, governments and manufacturers, cities and other non-state actors that aim to go faster than the rest.”

"We need all stakeholders to work together to achieve the ZEV transition at pace and scale” added Climate Group CEO, Helen Clarkson. “The global ZEV Declaration demonstrates the growing consensus that we need to phase out ICE vehicles by 2035 in leading countries and no later than 2040 globally. We're looking forward to working with our partners in the A2Z coalition to keep this community of leaders growing and building the connections that will allow us to achieve this goal together."

About the A2Z Coalition: 

The A2Z Coalition is a partnership of the UK Government’s COP26 Presidency, The High-Level UN Climate Champions, the International Council on Clean Transportation, Climate Group, and the Drive Electric Campaign working towards all sales of new cars and vans being zero emission no later than 2035 in leading markets and 2040 globally. A2Z’s partners also work on the acceleration of zero-emission medium and heavy duty vehicles.

The A2Z Coalition builds off the momentous foundation of the “Zero Emission Vehicles Declaration” (ZEV Declaration) generated at COP26 and hosted by the UK COP Presidency in collaboration with the Climate Change High-Level Champions and the Climate Group.

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