It’s easy to pass over new policies on the city level or province level since cities and provinces are “small” relative to states and countries. That said, some are huge. The province of Hainan may not be a household name in the United States or Europe, but it is indeed a jurisdiction of more than 9 million people. In terms of population, it’s almost as large as the state of Michigan. It’s got more people living in it than Wyoming, Vermont, Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Delaware, Rhode Island, Montana, and Maine … combined. It’s home to more people than Austria, Switzerland, Serbia, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, Slovakia, Norway, and many other countries. So, yes, a big new policy for the province of Hainan is a big new policy.
The recent news out of Hainan is that the province is banning new fossil-fuel vehicle sales by 2030. That’s one of the most aggressive targets out there.
“By 2030, the sales of ICE vehicles will be completely banned across the island of Hainan, the provincial government said in a carbon-peak implementation plan released [this week].
“By then, vehicles in Hainan’s public service and operational sectors will be fully powered by clean energy, except for special uses, the document said, adding that 100 percent of new and replacement vehicles in the private sector will be new energy vehicles (NEVs).”
China is already the clear market leader in terms of monthly EV sales, but this news from Hainan shows the importance of strong municipal action as well.
“Hainan will accelerate the use of clean energy in the transportation sector, with a focus on light logistics and distribution, urban sanitation, rental cars, ride-hailing vehicles and other areas, to promote the replacement of ICE vehicles with NEVs.
“By 2025, 100 percent of new and replacement vehicles in Hainan’s public service sector and the operational sector will use clean energy, according to the document.”
Kudos to Hainan. Let’s see who’s next.
Featured image by Wlamwk (CY BY-SA 4.0 lciense).
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