France's environment minister Nicolas Hulot announced that the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles will end after the year 2040. The goal is part of a larger plan to halt investment in petrol, diesel and gas projects with the aim to make the country carbon neutral by 2050.
The first step of this process will be to offer citizens financial incentives to scrap diesel cars built before 1997 and petrol cars built before 2001. The purchase of new, low-emission models will be encouraged throughout the country.
Other countries including Germany, the Netherlands and Norway have similar plans. Germany wants to stop their sales from 2030, while the latter countries intend to enforce the ban from 2025 onwards. India has also stated that it will stop petrol and diesel vehicle sales by 2030.
France’s newly elected president Emmanuel Macron revealed his intentions to make the country a leader in the fight against climate change, saying he wanted to "make the planet great again".
Macron’s plan will involve supporting private companies, such as car manufacturers, during this transition. The PSA Group wants to electrify its range, including brands like, Citroën, DS and Peugeot.