.
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fter another year with an intense hurricane season in the Atlantic, a rash of record setting forest fires globally, and yet another intense heat wave across parts of the EU, it is clear that the need to address climate change is increasing every day. Both the European Parliament and the UK Parliament have declared climate emergencies. Meanwhile due to COVID-19, transportation habits have been disrupted, and unemployment continues to rise in Europe and remains high in the U.S. with millions out of work in both regions. Action is needed immediately to avoid the worst impacts of climate change and help the world recover from the COVID-19 crisis and its economic fallout. One of the best solutions to decarbonize and revitalize the global economy is a continued push for electric vehicles (EVs).

The Transportation Sector’s Climate Impact and the Case for EVs

The transportation sector contributes significantly to climate change, with 20% of CO2 emissions and 25% of final energy consumption coming from road transport in Europe. In the United States, transportation accounts for the highest amount of carbon emissions at 28%, with 82% of those emissions originating from road transport. Transport emissions in Europe have also continued to increase over the past few decades while emissions in other sectors have decreased. 

The long-term impacts of COVID-19 on mobility habits are still to be determined, however the public health crisis has pushed many to rethink public transportation and place a higher value on access to private vehicles. It is clear that even with more people staying home, at least in the short to medium term, transport will remain a significant contributor to global emissions. 

Disruptions to transportation habits like this only further highlight that if the world hopes to meet its climate goals, the transportation sector must be decarbonized through a rapid adoption of EVs. In comparison to traditional combustion vehicles, EVs release three times less CO2, with the added benefits of emitting no harmful Nitrogen Oxides (NOx). Switching to EVs can also increase energy security in regions like Europe, which imports 87% of its oil demand, nearly half of which is used for road transport. 

With COVID-19 inflicting significant damage to the global economy and destroying millions of jobs, many of which have been in the clean energy and vehicle production and supply chain sector, expanding the use of EVs presents a way to help economies in Europe, the United States, and other regions recover while decarbonizing. The European Green Deal is now being described as a growth strategy, giving a strong signal for a green recovery. The multi-stakeholder group Platform for Electromobility estimates that a shift to electric-powered transportation could create up to one million jobs across the EU in the vehicle and rail manufacturing sectors by 2030. The World Resources Institute in the United States also predicts the production of electric buses and their components alone will produce thousands of jobs across facilities in Alabama, California, Georgia, Indiana, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, and other U.S. states.

Global Progress is Already Underway

In Europe, progress on bringing more EVs online has already been made, with the Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) 2020 EV Outlook predicting the region will become the second biggest EV market in the 2020s, behind only China. The European Green Deal also includes initiatives on sustainable mobility, showing it will remain a priority for the EU in the coming years. In response to the COVID-19 crisis, the EU has reiterated its commitment to the European Green Deal, and to using it as a ‘growth strategy’ for the coming years.

One critical aspect of supporting the EV market, and ensuring consumers are comfortable switching to EVs, is guaranteeing that proper charging infrastructure is in place to support the uptake of EVs. The Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Directive is one critical piece of legislation in this regard. The European Commission, the EU’s executive, is currently reviewing this directive, with the aim of enabling greater interest in EVs across the bloc. A revised directive must keep up with the latest technologies like urban wireless charging, smart charging (controlled time and power of charging), and e-roaming across Europe. This will ensure the EV market in the EU continues to grow, and that Europe meets its climate goals and implements the European Green Deal. 

In the United States, with the absence of strong federal mandates to spur additional use of EVs, several states have either started their own programs or banded together to pursue joint initiatives. California, New York, and New Jersey have invested a combined $1.3 billion in EV charging stations. Utah and several of its neighbors, including Idaho, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, Nevada, New Mexico, and Montana, updated a pre-existing memorandum of understanding in December 2019 to recommit to developing EV charging infrastructure along major transportation corridors in the region.

National U.S. EV programs may not be far behind, as Congress has considered several bills in 2019 and 2020 to fund research into innovations for EV technology and establish state and local grants for EV charging infrastructure. Additionally, in the face of the dual climate and COVID-19 economic crises, a diverse coalition of organizations including the Copper Development Association, the Bipartisan Policy Center, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, the National Association of Manufacturers, and the Nature Conservancy are calling for the House to consider a host of legislative proposals that would enable accelerated development of energy and climate-related technologies, including those supporting greater adoption of EVs. The Copper Development Association also joined a similar group in pushing the Senate to pass the American Energy Innovation Act, a bill that also encompasses a number of measures with the same goals of spurring job recovery through investment in clean energy, EVs, and other innovative technologies to reduce carbon emissions. 

Other governments across the globe are putting policies in place to support the uptake in EVs. China, currently the largest EV market, has established numerous measures to support the switch from traditional vehicles, such as increased investments in battery manufacturing. The country’s EV subsidies are often designed to be connected to performance and innovation metrics such as mileage per single charge or battery energy density. In Latin America, policies like incentives for consumers to buy EVs and initiatives to reduce urban pollution by electrifying public transit systems are also propelling the region toward a more sustainable transportation system.

The Copper Alliance Urges Continued Momentum on EVs

The Copper Alliance embraces its dual responsibility to support EV policy measures that properly address climate change and recovery from COVID-19 while providing the metal that is a major component in the vehicles, charging infrastructure, and energy storage devices needed to sustain EVs. The progress many governments are making needs to be accelerated as the share of emissions coming from transport remains significant and people search for jobs as the pandemic continues to impact the global economy. Society needs governments to continue supporting the development of regulatory frameworks and incentives to make the transition to lower-emission transport as soon as possible while getting people back to work.

About
Zolaikha Strong
:
Zolaikha Strong serves as the North American Energy Advisor representing the Copper Development Association for the global Copper Alliance.
About
Diego Garcia Carvajal
:
Diego Garcia Carvajal is the Manager of Clean Energy Transition at the European Copper Institute (ECI), the regional office of the global Copper Alliance where he helps promote copper applications through regulations and standards.
The views presented in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of any other organization.

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www.diplomaticourier.com

Electric Vehicles Can Drive Decarbonization and Post-Pandemic Job Recovery

November 15, 2020

Economic and climate devastation have been in focus this year. Further momentum for innovating and producing electric vehicles could significantly help address both issues.

A

fter another year with an intense hurricane season in the Atlantic, a rash of record setting forest fires globally, and yet another intense heat wave across parts of the EU, it is clear that the need to address climate change is increasing every day. Both the European Parliament and the UK Parliament have declared climate emergencies. Meanwhile due to COVID-19, transportation habits have been disrupted, and unemployment continues to rise in Europe and remains high in the U.S. with millions out of work in both regions. Action is needed immediately to avoid the worst impacts of climate change and help the world recover from the COVID-19 crisis and its economic fallout. One of the best solutions to decarbonize and revitalize the global economy is a continued push for electric vehicles (EVs).

The Transportation Sector’s Climate Impact and the Case for EVs

The transportation sector contributes significantly to climate change, with 20% of CO2 emissions and 25% of final energy consumption coming from road transport in Europe. In the United States, transportation accounts for the highest amount of carbon emissions at 28%, with 82% of those emissions originating from road transport. Transport emissions in Europe have also continued to increase over the past few decades while emissions in other sectors have decreased. 

The long-term impacts of COVID-19 on mobility habits are still to be determined, however the public health crisis has pushed many to rethink public transportation and place a higher value on access to private vehicles. It is clear that even with more people staying home, at least in the short to medium term, transport will remain a significant contributor to global emissions. 

Disruptions to transportation habits like this only further highlight that if the world hopes to meet its climate goals, the transportation sector must be decarbonized through a rapid adoption of EVs. In comparison to traditional combustion vehicles, EVs release three times less CO2, with the added benefits of emitting no harmful Nitrogen Oxides (NOx). Switching to EVs can also increase energy security in regions like Europe, which imports 87% of its oil demand, nearly half of which is used for road transport. 

With COVID-19 inflicting significant damage to the global economy and destroying millions of jobs, many of which have been in the clean energy and vehicle production and supply chain sector, expanding the use of EVs presents a way to help economies in Europe, the United States, and other regions recover while decarbonizing. The European Green Deal is now being described as a growth strategy, giving a strong signal for a green recovery. The multi-stakeholder group Platform for Electromobility estimates that a shift to electric-powered transportation could create up to one million jobs across the EU in the vehicle and rail manufacturing sectors by 2030. The World Resources Institute in the United States also predicts the production of electric buses and their components alone will produce thousands of jobs across facilities in Alabama, California, Georgia, Indiana, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, and other U.S. states.

Global Progress is Already Underway

In Europe, progress on bringing more EVs online has already been made, with the Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) 2020 EV Outlook predicting the region will become the second biggest EV market in the 2020s, behind only China. The European Green Deal also includes initiatives on sustainable mobility, showing it will remain a priority for the EU in the coming years. In response to the COVID-19 crisis, the EU has reiterated its commitment to the European Green Deal, and to using it as a ‘growth strategy’ for the coming years.

One critical aspect of supporting the EV market, and ensuring consumers are comfortable switching to EVs, is guaranteeing that proper charging infrastructure is in place to support the uptake of EVs. The Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Directive is one critical piece of legislation in this regard. The European Commission, the EU’s executive, is currently reviewing this directive, with the aim of enabling greater interest in EVs across the bloc. A revised directive must keep up with the latest technologies like urban wireless charging, smart charging (controlled time and power of charging), and e-roaming across Europe. This will ensure the EV market in the EU continues to grow, and that Europe meets its climate goals and implements the European Green Deal. 

In the United States, with the absence of strong federal mandates to spur additional use of EVs, several states have either started their own programs or banded together to pursue joint initiatives. California, New York, and New Jersey have invested a combined $1.3 billion in EV charging stations. Utah and several of its neighbors, including Idaho, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, Nevada, New Mexico, and Montana, updated a pre-existing memorandum of understanding in December 2019 to recommit to developing EV charging infrastructure along major transportation corridors in the region.

National U.S. EV programs may not be far behind, as Congress has considered several bills in 2019 and 2020 to fund research into innovations for EV technology and establish state and local grants for EV charging infrastructure. Additionally, in the face of the dual climate and COVID-19 economic crises, a diverse coalition of organizations including the Copper Development Association, the Bipartisan Policy Center, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, the National Association of Manufacturers, and the Nature Conservancy are calling for the House to consider a host of legislative proposals that would enable accelerated development of energy and climate-related technologies, including those supporting greater adoption of EVs. The Copper Development Association also joined a similar group in pushing the Senate to pass the American Energy Innovation Act, a bill that also encompasses a number of measures with the same goals of spurring job recovery through investment in clean energy, EVs, and other innovative technologies to reduce carbon emissions. 

Other governments across the globe are putting policies in place to support the uptake in EVs. China, currently the largest EV market, has established numerous measures to support the switch from traditional vehicles, such as increased investments in battery manufacturing. The country’s EV subsidies are often designed to be connected to performance and innovation metrics such as mileage per single charge or battery energy density. In Latin America, policies like incentives for consumers to buy EVs and initiatives to reduce urban pollution by electrifying public transit systems are also propelling the region toward a more sustainable transportation system.

The Copper Alliance Urges Continued Momentum on EVs

The Copper Alliance embraces its dual responsibility to support EV policy measures that properly address climate change and recovery from COVID-19 while providing the metal that is a major component in the vehicles, charging infrastructure, and energy storage devices needed to sustain EVs. The progress many governments are making needs to be accelerated as the share of emissions coming from transport remains significant and people search for jobs as the pandemic continues to impact the global economy. Society needs governments to continue supporting the development of regulatory frameworks and incentives to make the transition to lower-emission transport as soon as possible while getting people back to work.

About
Zolaikha Strong
:
Zolaikha Strong serves as the North American Energy Advisor representing the Copper Development Association for the global Copper Alliance.
About
Diego Garcia Carvajal
:
Diego Garcia Carvajal is the Manager of Clean Energy Transition at the European Copper Institute (ECI), the regional office of the global Copper Alliance where he helps promote copper applications through regulations and standards.
The views presented in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of any other organization.