Combustion-engine bans unpopular despite impressive successes in reducing emissions

Despite the scepticism surrounding electric vehicles, the research seems to point to EVs being a key part in reducing our overall effect on climate change. With combustion engine bans becoming all the more common — the EU plans to ban diesel- and petrol-powered cars by 2035, and the US has ambitions to transition to majority EVs through 2030 — it's become a hot-button issue for many people, and the sentiment isn't always positive.

A study commissioned by the Clean Cities Campaign, published as (E)Mission Zero, found that electrification and banning combustion-engine vehicles from cities, while not a silver bullet in the fight for reducing emissions and combating climate change, is part of an effective strategy. The analysis compared the impact of different approaches to transportation in Brussels, Greater Manchester, Madrid, Milan, and Warsaw.

The researchers found that, in general, relying on a strategy that combines electrification of public and private vehicles with emissions-free zones in cities, produced similar results to approaches that encouraged alternative modes of transport, like green public transport, cycling, walking, and electric scooters and mopeds as well as reducing transportation overall by encouraging work from home and car-free days. 

In some cities, like Greater Manchester, electrification was surprisingly more effective from  both a cost per capita and emissions perspective than encouraging walking, cycling, and the use of public transport.

A table with the results of the analysis can be found below the text of this article for more detailed information.

It's all well and good that the data says electrification and banning combustion-engine vehicles will help reduce emissions, but those policies seem to be some of the most widely opposed by residents of European cities.

A study conducted by the Clean Cities Campaign that interviewed 15,000 residents of Germany, France, and Poland found that measures that punished the use of diesel- and petrol-powered vehicles were universally disliked, with an outright ban on internal combustion engines seen as the least desirable policy change across the board.

It's curious to note that the least popular policies in the survey would all see something taken away (a ban on ICE cars, higher ICE tax and tolls, and bans on oil and gas for residential heating), while the most widely accepted policies were ones that would see new subsidies put in place, expansions of green power, and investment in public transport.

It's clear that, as policymakers look for ways to better address climate change, they will need to be creative with their solutions. Lifestyles and modes of transport have become ingrained in our daily lives, and it appears as though there will always be backlash when it comes to taking those conveniences away.

However, it should also be noted that the most successful results in the Clean Cities Campaign study was a mixture of approaches that implemented everything from increased public transportation to electrification and car-free zones in cities. 

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