Northern Ireland Left Out of New UK Vehicle Emissions Rules

The United Kingdom’s new environmentally friendly emission restrictions are beginning next year, and Northern Ireland will not be included.

Due to Brexit, Northern Ireland will be omitted from the U.K.’s vehicle emission restrictions, The Guardian reported. Starting 1 January 2021, cars sold in Northern Ireland will be considered a European sale and will not be a part of the carbon dioxide emission restrictions of the U.K.

The end of Brexit’s transitional period marks the start of North Ireland being eliminated from Great Britain’s emission restrictions, according to the Belfast Telegraph. 

The United Kingdom and Europe have a special status agreement to prevent a border separating Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland under the Northern Ireland protocol. 

The Northern Ireland protocol dictates that vehicles sold in Northern Ireland will be excluded from the emission restrictions of England, Scotland and Wales, the Belfast Telegraph reported.

In spite of whatever outcome happens from the trade negotiations between the United Kingdom and Europe, EU regulations will be imposed on Northern Ireland, isolating it from the rest of the U.K. countries, Car Dealer magazine reported.

A government consultation has been published outlining that Northern Ireland will be considered a member of Europe regarding counting average vehicle emissions so there will be no chance of vehicles being counted twice. 

“Newly registered vehicles in Northern Ireland from 1 January 2021 will continue to be the subject of the EU regulation,” the government reported. “The retained version of the regulation, and the subject of this consultation, will apply in Great Britain only.”

Carmakers in Europe are expected to decrease carbon emissions to less than 95 grams per kilometre over the next year. The U.K. has promised its emission restrictions will be at least as strict as Europe’s regulations. 

Britons have a preference for larger, less fuel-efficient vehicles as opposed to other European countries that prefer small cars, according to The Guardian.

After Brexit, the U.K. imitated European emission rules, but large vehicles favoured by U.K. drivers conflict with the carbon dioxide emission restrictions rule of 95 grams a kilometre or below. 

Carmakers have warned that certain models might have to be pulled, The Guardian reported.

Nearly all vehicles purchased in 2020 and 2021 sold in Europe and the U.K. must be in the 95 grams a kilometre or below the emission restriction, according to government regulations.

The emission restriction will require all cars sold in Europe to comply with the carbon emissions rule by the end of 2021. If carmakers do not meet that requirement, large fines may be imposed. 

Fines for car manufacturers that are over the 95 grams per kilometre limit could be subject to hundreds of millions of euros, or the equivalent in pounds in the U.K.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), a car lobby group in the U.K., has alerted that some car manufacturers might have to remove certain vehicles from their sales lineup due to the emissions restrictions, the Belfast Telegraph reported. 

It is unclear how car businesses will deal with new emission restrictions. The restrictions might create new regulations for car businesses and consumers. The SMMT has warned carmakers to do what they can to avoid massive fines. 

Some say the vehicle industry will have to change in the U.K., as carmakers are going to have to market more environmentally-friendly cars instead of large SUVs. 

One environmentalist told The Guardian carmakers need to acclimate to making greener cars.

“Carmakers are not obliged to aggressively market heavy, polluting cars,” Greenpeace campaigner Mel Evans said. “They know that we are in a climate emergency and yet keep accelerating towards the cliff edge, because bigger, dirtier cars have higher profit margins. And because they use more petrol and diesel, the oil companies cash in as well.” 

What is your opinion about Northern Ireland being left out of U.K. emission restrictions? Let us know in the comments.

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