France to Ban Petrol and Diesel Vehicles by 2040
French president Emmanuel Macron has announced plans to ban all petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040 as part of France’s commitment to the Paris Accord.
The French Minister of Ecological and Social Transition, Nicolas Hulot, said that France will also not allow ‘any new project to use petrol, gas or coal’ in the same timeframe.
Prior to his life in politics, Hulot was a famous wildlife TV presenter. Both Hulot and Macron have wasted no time in strengthening France’s stance on climate change. Their stance can be seen as a strong counter to US President Donald Trump’s abandonment of the Paris Agreement.
HFCs and Climate Change
HFCs (Hydro-Fluoro-Carbons) are commonly used in a variety of applications including air conditioning, fire protection, refrigeration and much more. They were first introduced to the manufacturing sector after the 1992 ban of CFCs (Chloro-Fluoro-Carbons) by the Montreal Protocol.
CFCs were banned due to the ozone layer damaged they caused.
Nowadays, many companies in the USA and across the world market HFCs as ‘environmentally-friendly’ due to their negligible contribution to ozone layer depletion. However, these gases are anything but eco-friendly; all F-gases are contributors to climate change.
Lord Stern has spoken again on climate change
Lord Stern who released the Stern Review in 2006 has spoken again on climate change:
The Government is planning to deliver a new initiative to overhaul the energy efficiency of homes and businesses.
“The Green Deal is a massive new business opportunity which has the potential to support up to a quarter of a million jobs as part of our third industrial revolution. Insulation installers and the supply chain all stand to benefit from this long overdue energy makeover.”