B.C. joins international alliance for zero-emission vehicles

Vancouver: British Columbia has become the 14th jurisdiction to sign on to the International Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Alliance. Environment Minister Mary Polak made the announcement today at the 2015 climate conference underway in Paris, France. Members of the alliance will strive to make all new passenger vehicles in their jurisdictions ZEVs by no later than 2050. Achieving this will accelerate the global transition to ZEVs and could reduce transportati tion sector climate im impacts by more th than one billion t tons of carbon d dioxide emissions per year by 2050, loweringo global v vehicle emissions b by about 40%. Z ZEVs in use today include battery-electric, plug-in hybrid, and fuel cell vehicles. Mary Polak, Environment Minister said, “As a member of this international alliance we will work with other governments and partners and at home in British Columbia to increase the adoption of ZEVs and reduce tailpipe emissions, helping us fulfil our international climate action responsibilities.” Other governments that have signed on to the International Zero-Emission Vehicle Alliance include Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Quebec. British Columbia is a leader in clean-energy vehicles with the largest public charging infrastructure network in Canada and the second-highest per capita adoption of electric vehicles in Canada.