The COP26 pledge by governments, automakers and others to sell only zero-emissions cars and vans from 2035 in leading markets and by 2040 elsewhere (earlier post) needs to be backed up with actual targets set down in law, green NGO Transport & Environment (T&E) said.

With China, the US, Germany and France absent from the declaration, it will take more than a non-binding commitment to make the shift, T&E commented.

The car industry’s electrification plans place it ahead of regulators on climate action. But these won’t materialize without actual targets to end car emissions by 2035 at the latest. The US and Europe, especially Germany and France, need to lead.

—Julia Poliscanova, senior director for vehicles and e-mobility at T&E

In a separate pledge, the UK announced it would end the sale of all new diesel trucks between 2035 and 2040. T&E said the policy, if implemented, is world-leading and places the UK at the head of the queue for ending the use of fossil fuels in vehicles by 2050.

In the coming months EU governments and members of the European Parliament will decide on a proposal to end sales of polluting cars and vans by 2035. Next year EU lawmakers will also consider increasing the bloc’s truck CO₂ reduction targets for 2030 and setting targets for subsequent years.