Britain to ban sale of petrol and diesel lorries from 2040

UK government aims to achieve net zero emissions from all forms of transport

The UK government will ban the sale of new diesel and petrol lorries by 2040. Getty Images

Britain will ban the sale of new petrol and diesel lorries from 2040 as part of a pledge to achieve net zero emissions from all forms of transport by 2050.

Ministers also want to speed up sales of electric cars, requiring car manufacturers to hit targets for the number of electric vehicles they sell, while ensuring they are fitted with smart-charging facilities so the cars can interact with the power grid for cheap and convenient recharging.

The Transport Decarbonisation Strategy – released on Wednesday – also says new technology could help to make domestic flights emissions-free by 2040.

It plans to create a net zero rail network by 2050.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government is seeking to elevate Britain's environmental credentials as he prepares to hold the United Nations' Climate Change Conference, known as Cop26, in Scotland in November.

The government said that it would ban the sale of smaller diesel lorries from 2035, and larger ones weighing more than 26 tonnes from 2040, or earlier if feasible.

A recent study showed that lorries accounted for 2 per cent of vehicle numbers in the EU but 22 per cent of road transport emissions.

The UK government wants all new lorries to run on batteries or hydrogen by 2040.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said electric and hydrogen-powered lorries coincided with the decision to ban diesel and petrol cars from 2030.

"Ninety per cent of our carbon emissions from transport come from the road," he told the BBC's Radio 4 Today programme.

"We’ve already said we are going to ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars from 2030, and hybrids from 2035, and by using our newfound regulatory freedoms outside the EU we’ve been able to go at that faster than other countries."

But the plan was criticised by Road Haulage Association managing director Rod McKenzie, who said the decisions were premature because green alternatives to heavy goods vehicles did not exist.

"We don't know when they'll exist, and we don't know how much they'll cost, so it's not clear what any transition will look like," he told Sky News.

"So this is blue sky thinking way ahead of reality."

Mr Shapps said the plans gave "confidence and clarity on the steps that need to be taken on the road to zero".

"We are going to have technologies which are already in place – batteries for example, but also hydrogen, even electric overheads – different types of technology to come in to help those electric vehicles," he said.

Some environmental groups are not convinced that planes will be emissions-free by 2040.

Greg Archer, from the green group Transport and Environment, said people should be taking fewer flights.

“The government must level with the public that to avoid dangerous climate change there will have to be fewer cars, less driving and many fewer flights," he said.

Asked whether the aviation plans were realistic, Mr Shapps said: "We already have electric aircraft going up in the air.

"In fact the UK has become the first country in the world to have a hydrogen aircraft flying as well. We are making progress on these things," he said.

The government launched a consultation to achieve a net zero emissions target by 2050, with "an action plan for how it can be achieved – ensuring everyone can continue to fly for holidays, visits to family and business without contributing to climate change".