The two EU member states made their pledge at the 27th United Nations climate change conference (COP27) in the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh, officially joining the group of new signatories of the Zero Emission Vehicle Declaration (ZEVD), launched at last year’s conference in Glasgow.

A total of 214 signatories, including countries, local communities, and companies, have pledged to sell 100% zero-emission vehicles in leading markets by 2035 and worldwide by 2040.

ZEVD will in future be overseen by a new group – the Getting to Zero Coalition – whose goal is to help signatories fulfill their commitments.

Policy makers want to reduce or eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from cars, trucks and other forms of transportation. Although aviation and shipping are more difficult to decarbonize, low-emission technology for smaller vehicles is well established and expanding rapidly.

Data published by Bloomberg indicates that 2022 will be a record year for sales of zero-carbon vehicles, with electric vehicles accounting for 13.2 percent of total sales in the first half of the year.