Producers Target 2040 End Date For Polluting Vehicles But Not All Agree

The world's leading vehicle-producing countries -- China, the United States, Japan and Germany -- did not put their names on the announcement.

Countries and manufacturers Wednesday agreed to phase out sales of internal combustion engine vehicles by 2040 in a pledge at COP26 that the world's top four producers did not sign.

The announcement from climate summit host Britain vowed that signatories would strive to have only new sales of zero-emissions vehicles from 2040 and "by no later than 2035 in leading markets".

They said they would support governments in seeking "to make zero emission vehicles the new normal by making them accessible, affordable and sustainable in all regions by 2030".

But the world's leading vehicle-producing countries -- China, the United States, Japan and Germany -- did not put their names on the announcement.