The Government of Iceland has unveiled an ambitious plan to fight climate change (pdf). The plan includes 34 major steps designed to limit CO2 emissions with the goal of making Iceland fully carbon neutral by 2040. Among the steps outlined in the plan is a ban on the registration of new petroleum or diesel vehicles in 2030. The state will take steps to increase the number of electric vehicles in the coming years. The plan also calls for carbon sequestration through wetland reclamation and reforestation.
Phase out fossil fuels entirely by 2050
Katrín Jakobsdóttir, the Prime Minister of Iceland unveiled the plan at a press conference earlier today. The long term goal of the government, to be achieved before mid-century, is to eliminate the use of fossil fuels entirely, switching to renewable energy. Phasing petroleum and diesel out as transportation fuels is key to achieve this goal.
Read more: Iceland meets only 0.01% of it's electricity needs with fossil fuels, 99.99% from renewables
The government believes it can reduce CO2 emissions from cars on Icelandic roads by 50% in the next twelve years. Consumers will be encouraged to switch to electric vehicles with tax incentives, while carbon taxes on petroleum and diesel fuel will be raised. The state will also encourage people to switch to public transportation and bicycling. Among the steps announced are new bike lanes along major traffic arteries and highways outside urban areas.
The government plans to spend 6.8 billion ISK (60 million USD/52 million EUR) in the next five years to finance the action. Most of this money, or 4 billion ISK (36 million USD/31 million EUR) will be spent on carbon capture and sequestration, while 1.5 billion ISK (13 million USD/11.5 million EUR) will be invested in infrastructure to ease the switch to electric vehicles, including new charging stations.
Read more: Fourth of all new cars in Iceland now electric vehicles
Ambitious plans
The plan includes 34 different steps the government intends to take. Among these are the capture and use of methane from landfills and the manufacture of transportation fuel from organic waste, greater use of electricity by ships, including cruise ships, and airplanes, an action plan to reduce food waste and less use of chemical fertilizers.
Katrín Jakobsdóttir told reporters that the task at hand was enormous, and that it was necessary to surmount many obstacles to achieve the goals outlined in the plan. It was therefore extremely important that the government had dedicating the necessary resources to achieve the goals. We are embarking on a journey I hope will prove to be of enormous benefit to Icelandic society, Katrín said.
The Government of Iceland has unveiled an ambitious plan to fight climate change (pdf). The plan includes 34 major steps designed to limit CO2 emissions with the goal of making Iceland fully carbon neutral by 2040. Among the steps outlined in the plan is a ban on the registration of new petroleum or diesel vehicles in 2030. The state will take steps to increase the number of electric vehicles in the coming years. The plan also calls for carbon sequestration through wetland reclamation and reforestation.
Phase out fossil fuels entirely by 2050
Katrín Jakobsdóttir, the Prime Minister of Iceland unveiled the plan at a press conference earlier today. The long term goal of the government, to be achieved before mid-century, is to eliminate the use of fossil fuels entirely, switching to renewable energy. Phasing petroleum and diesel out as transportation fuels is key to achieve this goal.
Read more: Iceland meets only 0.01% of it's electricity needs with fossil fuels, 99.99% from renewables
The government believes it can reduce CO2 emissions from cars on Icelandic roads by 50% in the next twelve years. Consumers will be encouraged to switch to electric vehicles with tax incentives, while carbon taxes on petroleum and diesel fuel will be raised. The state will also encourage people to switch to public transportation and bicycling. Among the steps announced are new bike lanes along major traffic arteries and highways outside urban areas.
The government plans to spend 6.8 billion ISK (60 million USD/52 million EUR) in the next five years to finance the action. Most of this money, or 4 billion ISK (36 million USD/31 million EUR) will be spent on carbon capture and sequestration, while 1.5 billion ISK (13 million USD/11.5 million EUR) will be invested in infrastructure to ease the switch to electric vehicles, including new charging stations.
Read more: Fourth of all new cars in Iceland now electric vehicles
Ambitious plans
The plan includes 34 different steps the government intends to take. Among these are the capture and use of methane from landfills and the manufacture of transportation fuel from organic waste, greater use of electricity by ships, including cruise ships, and airplanes, an action plan to reduce food waste and less use of chemical fertilizers.
Katrín Jakobsdóttir told reporters that the task at hand was enormous, and that it was necessary to surmount many obstacles to achieve the goals outlined in the plan. It was therefore extremely important that the government had dedicating the necessary resources to achieve the goals. We are embarking on a journey I hope will prove to be of enormous benefit to Icelandic society, Katrín said.
