2023-11-29 16:00:25
As COP28 approaches, a Greenpeace report reveals the meteoric rise of thermal SUVs which is canceling out the climate progress of electric vehicles.
The impact of SUVs on the environment is gigantic
As COP28 in Dubai approaches, a recent Greenpeace report shows a troubling paradox in our fight once morest climate change. While electric vehicles are often presented as a key solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the explosion in sales of thermal SUVs appears to reverse these climate gains. In the first semester in France, no less than 413,966 buyers have opted for this type of vehicle, marking an increase of 17.6% compared to 2022. Internationally, SUVs now represent 45% of vehicle sales worldwide and 38% in the European Union.
The report indicates a dramatic increase in the number of SUVs on the road, going from less than 50 million in 2010 to 330 million in 2022. This rapid growth has profound implications for the environment. In 2021, all of these SUVs issued more than 900 million tonnes of CO2. To put this into perspective, if these vehicles formed a country, they would rank sixth among the most polluting states in the world.
The manufacture of electric cars pollutes a lot
Renowned car manufacturers such as Hyundai-Kia, Volkswagen and Toyota are particularly blamed. Their thermal SUVs emitted 298 million tonnes of CO2 in 2022. In contrast, the CO2 emissions avoided through the use of their electric vehicles last year totaled only 9 million tonnes.
The Greenpeace report also draws attention to an often overlooked aspect: pollution generated during the manufacturing of electric vehicles. Lithium extraction, battery production, and the use of metals such as copper contribute to an unfavorable initial environmental impact for these vehicles. It is estimated that an electric vehicle must travel between 60,000 and 100,000 km to compensate for this initial handicap.
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