Toronto, Ontario – A study backed by electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers Polestar and Rivian warns that the automotive industry will likely miss climate goals by 75 percent, further highlighting that targets would be missed even if all cars sold tomorrow were electric.
According to Reuters, the pathway report provides three recommendations to achieve climate targets by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to limit global warming to 1.5 Celsius by 2050.
This includes a firm end date on the sale of fossil-fuel cars, investing more into EV production, creating more renewable energy sources and more sustainable supply chains.
While certain automakers have signalled their willingness to support the transition to EVs in the Chinese, European and North American markets, other OEMs including Toyota have expressed their unwillingness to embrace a future of all-electric sales.
The pathway report falls in line with Greenpeace’s analysis of the automotive industry, warning that auto sales on combustion engine vehicles are on track to jeopardize the 1.5 Celsius by 2050 target.
“Leading auto manufacturers, including Toyota, Volkswagen, and Hyundai, are transitioning far too slowly to zero-emission vehicles, which has dangerous consequences for our planet. As the climate crisis intensifies, governments are enacting stricter bans on diesel and petrol vehicles,” said Benjamin Stephan, climate campaigner at Greenpeace Germany.
“If traditional automakers fail to electrify, they will lose out to newer, all-electric competitors and risk stranded assets.”
