Don’t let automakers drive us further into the climate crisis

Sign the petition

We demand that automakers must:

  1. Stop selling fossil fuel cars by 2030 and by 2028 in Europe.1
  2. Switch to smaller, lighter and more energy efficient vehicles
  3. Cut emissions in the supply chain
  4. Minimize use, reuse, and recycle battery minerals
  5. Ensure a just transition for workers
  6. Provide affordable, accessible, and zero-emission mobility services instead of selling more cars

Automakers must #DriveChange towards zero-emission mobility, not climate change

The world’s largest automakers are portraying a green image through electric vehicle (EV) commercials and net-zero pledges. However, the truth remains stark: in 2022, a staggering 94% of cars sold by these automakers still run on fossil fuels, as reported by Greenpeace East Asia2.

While some may view Toyota’s hybrids as environmentally friendly, Greenpeace East Asia finds that shockingly in 2022, not even 1 out of every 100 Toyota cars sold was an EV (0.24%), which boasts lower life cycle emissions than hybrids3. Toyota’s focus on hybrids may delay the transition to EVs and this can result in more carbon emissions since hybrids still run on fossil fuels.

Another concerning trend is that global SUV sales have been on the rise for the past 3 years, according to the International Energy Agency, making SUVs the 6th largest carbon emitter in the world, if categorized as a country4. SUVs are larger vehicles that demand more steel and resources to manufacture and also consume more fuel. According to Greenpeace East Asia, more than 50% of Hyundai’s sales were SUVs in 2022, which almost offset their efforts to transition to EVs5.

Clearly, transitioning to EVs is a part of the solution, but questions remain about battery minerals, renewable energy charging, and carbon-intensive supply chains.

Ultimately, we need automakers to move away from a business model that profits from fossil fuel cars and instead focus on providing accessible and affordable mobility services such as platforms that combine ride sharing, bike sharing and public transportation!

1 Greenpeace Germany: The Internal Combustion Engine Bubble
2 Greenpeace East Asia: Auto Environmental Guide 2023, A comparative analysis of global automakers’ decarbonisation: recent actions and future plans
3 IEA: Comparative life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions of a mid-size BEV and ICE vehicle
4 IEA: As their sales continue to rise, SUVs’ global CO2 emissions are nearing 1 billion tonnes
5 MarkLines data of Hyundai-Kia group, numbers are rounded
6 Georg Bieker, A global comparison of the life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions of combustion engine and electric passenger cars, (Berlin: International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), 2021)