Lausanne bans combustion engines from 2030
The city of Lausanne has presented its climate plan. Accordingly, it will ban all cars with internal combustion engines from the urban area from 2030. It wants to be completely carbon-free by 2050. The radical transformation of the city is intended to be a collective and socially balanced project.
The city of Lausanne presented its climate plan for 2050 on Thursday. Its motto is “0% CO2, 100% solidarity”. The climate goals are to be flanked by strong social measures, for example for tenants and users of public transport. As stated in a communication from the city administration, they want to lead “a real debate” on the most important goals and measures with “broad-based consultations and participatory processes”.
From 2030, Lausanne will ban all vehicles with internal combustion engines from the urban area. In the course of this, the city administration is proposing a significant reduction in local public transport tariffs as well as an expansion of the pedestrian zone in the center and main bicycle routes from every point of the compass into the city center.
In addition, the annual renovation rate for old buildings is to be increased from 1 to 3.3 percent. Gas and oil heating systems are to be replaced gradually. In order to achieve CO2 neutrality of buildings by 2050, investments of 1 billion Swiss francs are necessary. At the same time, studies would be carried out, for example to analyze the effects of a building renovation policy on rents. Strong social measures must ensure that climate policy is supported by the entire population.
The area of the leaves of trees is expected to grow by 50 percent by 2040. "The resilient city of the 21st century will then be lavishly landscaped," says the message. Overall, direct greenhouse gas emissions are expected to fall by 49 percent by 2030 and by 71 percent by 2040. The goal of zero emissions is to be achieved in 2050.
The implementation of this policy will change the city radically, so the city leaders. In order to be successful, it must become a collective project and should not leave out any population groups.
