Awareness in relation to ecology is (finally) starting to make its way. And this, both at the level of public and politicians. Many cities have planned to put an end to the circulation of diesel and gasoline vehicles in their midst. In France, but as well everywhere in Europe! These decisions follow the Paris Agreement that took place at the end of 2015. So, what does this really mean? Will there really be no more cars in city centers by 2030? And what solutions will be available to you, car drivers? Hesion, the Smart Parking Solutions expert, explains it to you.
What is the Paris Agreement?
The Paris Climate Agreement is an agreement that came about after the international meeting that took place on December 12, 2015. Gathering the signature of 195 countries, it is part of the UN (United Nations) climate policy. This pact commits all its participants to implement actions to limit global warming. The objective, ambitious to say the least, but necessary, is to limit the temperature increases to 1.5°C by 2100. For this, it will be necessary for everyone to put in place significant efforts to reduce carbon emissions. And this is a report of Greenpeace Belgium, produced by the German Center for Aeronautics and Astronautics, which, in September 2018 put the fire back to the asphalt. The association for environmental protection is firm! If Europe wants to be able to keep its climate commitments, it will have to reduce 80% its vehicles running on diesel or gasoline by 2028.
Decisions taken at the European level
As a result, many countries and cities have decided to roll up their sleeves. Thus, many decisions to ban diesel and gasoline cars have been announced throughout Europe. Once again, urban mobility seems to be at the heart of the concerns. Development of public transportation, smart parking solutions… The international resolutions will undoubtedly revise our habits of using the car in town.
Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands, the good students
In October 2018, Denmark announced that it would eliminate to sell diesel and gasoline cars by 2030. Since January 1, 2019, Copenhagen already banned all diesel vehicles from its city limits. Like Copenhagen, Oslo has also banned diesel cars from its city limits since January 1, 2019. The end of Norwegian selling of diesel cars is scheduled for 2025. Meanwhile, the Netherlands is ahead of the curve. Amsterdam has been a diesel-free city since 2013. The government’s goal is to eliminate diesel cars from the roads by 2025 and to aim for “zero carbon emissions” by 2030.
France, slowly but surely
In France, the definitive end to the selling of vehicles with combustion engines is planned for 2040. Like other major European capitals, Paris has developed its own action plan. Since the summer of 2019, diesel vehicles older than 13 years are already not allowed to travel in the capital. And from 2024, it will be no longer possible to drive a diesel car in the city. The end of gasoline cars is planned for 2030. The big provincial cities are not left out. The cities of Lyon, Marseille and Strasbourg have set up zones with limited carbon emissions. The development of parking solutions outside city centers in correlation with the deployment of public transportation also contributes to limiting these emissions.
Complete parking solutions for a “greener” parking
If air quality control is a priority in our parking solutions, it is just as important when it comes to the collective atmosphere. To this end, our R&D teams are working to reduce the ecological impact of vehicles on the environment during parking. The correlation between vehicle flows and pollution in parking lots is obvious. Implementing solutions to anticipate this is an integral part of our business. With municipalities and local authorities, urban mobility projects are also our priority to offer you greener cities. Not to mention offering energy-saving products for truly responsible parking solutions!
While it is not yet clear whether cars will be really banned from city centers, one thing is certain: European countries seem to have decided to replace them with hybrid and/or electric vehicles. The urban mobility policies implemented by local authorities and the smart parking solutions developed are already providing more environmentally friendly solutions. For more information on our eco-friendly parking solutions, contact us!
