Ban urban SUVs & 4x4s - #climateCrisis #deGrowth #fuckSUVs

University of Oxford: Electric SUVs miss the point

The University of Oxford haven spoken out about how increasingly large cars like electric SUVs are missing the point of electrification, and cars need to stop getting larger to actually help the environment.

The transition towards electrified road transport is a cornerstone of global efforts to mitigate climate change. Whilst 14% of cars being sold are electric, there is an alarming shift towards the production and use of larger, heavier vehicles – ‘mobesity’ – which pose unique challenges to reducing emissions.

Whilst electric SUVs (e-SUVs) are three times more energy efficient than their counterparts, they still require significantly more resources to build and have greater energy consumption, increasing their environmental footprint and undermining the potential gains from electrification.

Full article

Edinburgh council bans SUV and cruise ship ads in climate crackdown

Adverts for sports utility vehicles (SUVs like Range Rovers etc) & cruise holidays are to be banned by Edinburgh council as part of a crackdown on promotion of the fossil fuel industry across the Scottish capital.

The prohibition of ads from council-owned spaces such as billboards and bus stops also covers airlines, airports, fossil-fuel powered vehicles and arms manufacturers – but stopped short of outlawing meat adverts.

Edinburgh council said “the promotion of high-carbon products is incompatible with net zero objectives”.

Full article at the FT (Archive.is version)

Paris: Other forms of transportation have contributed to a 40% decline in air pollution

Changes designed to encourage people to take other forms of transportation than cars have contributed to a 40% decline in air pollution.

That’s because a campaign to make Paris greener, primarily by reducing its dependence on cars, has transformed it into a shining example of what many environmental activists, city planners and transit advocates say ought to be the future of cities worldwide.

Paris has closed more than 100 streets to motor vehicles, tripled parking fees for SUVs, removed roughly 50,000 parking spots, and constructed more than 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) of bike lanes since Mayor Anne Hidalgo took office in 2014.

Read full article at NBC

If SUVs were a country, they would be the world’s fifth largest emitter of CO2

The large, heavy passenger vehicles were responsible for over 20% of the growth in global energy-related CO2 emissions last year

SUVs accounted for 48% of global car sales in 2023, reaching a new record and further strengthening the defining automobile trend of the early 21st century – the shift towards ever larger and heavier cars. There are various driving forces behind this trend, from the appeal of SUVs as a status symbol and their potential enhancements in comfort, to the marketing strategies of leading automakers.

Full article

Take on the Going Car Free Challenge

Calling drivers across the UK, are you ready for a challenge? Summer’s here and the time is right for the Going Car Free Challenge – a month of climate-friendly travel.

Could you swap your daily commute or school run from the car to the bus? Or cycle? Could you go car-free for a day? A week? A month? How about talking to your friends and family about the importance of clean air, active travel, and people-friendly streets?

Join us Going Car Free from 1st – 30th June 2024. Those ready and willing to take on the challenge will be in for the chance of winning some fantastic prizes.

https://www.wearepossible.org/actions-blog/going-car-free-challenge