Dr Yaroslav Melekh, an EEIST researcher at University College London, was part of a roundtable discussion that took place in the Renewable Energy Action Pavilion at COP28. He joined other experts for a discussion on how clean-tech solutions like electric vehicles and renewable transportation fuels can be deployed to speed up transport decarbonisation globally.
Dr Melekh highlighted the need to go beyond fuel duties and carbon pricing to achieve transformation in the transport sector, and shared findings from EEIST’s recent policy brief on tipping points for zero-emission vehicles:
‘’Reaching zero emissions in the passenger transport sector is complex and can’t be achieved only by imposing more and higher duty fuels and increasing emission standards. Such measures are rather optimising the system by reducing but not eliminating emissions. To achieve transformational change, a broader policy package is required, including zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) mandates, bans on sales of ICE vehicles, and sales subsidies for ZEVs, which all together helped to significantly bring the costs down, especially with exponential growth in lithium-ion battery manufacturing. The Economics of Energy Innovation and System Transition (EEIST) research demonstrates that the lifetime cost of ownership of ZEVs has already reached those of ICEs in Europe and China, and soon the same is likely to be for U.S. This, in turn, can activate the so-called ‘positive’ tipping points, whereby consumers prefer buying ZEVs, and the role of support policies is diminishing with increased ZEV fleet.’’
For more information about the event, click here.
