Farnham queries phasing out petrol and diesel cars

Jersey's chief minister has expressed doubt over plans to begin phasing out petrol and diesel cars in 2030.

Deputy Lyndon Farnham said while the island was "committed to tackling climate change", he conceded that the current plan "might not be practicable".

He cited the slow take-up of electric vehicles, high costs and constraints on charging provision as some of his concerns. The comments came ahead of the closure of a consultation on the subject.

From 2030, islanders will no longer be able to import or register a petrol or diesel vehicle and it's a key part of the government's Carbon Neutral Roadmap, with the overall goal of reducing gas emissions to net zero by 2050.

Net zero means balancing the amount of planet-warming "greenhouse" gases produced by human activities with the amount being actively removed from the atmosphere.

In an online post, encouraging islanders to take part in a consultation on the subject, the chief minister called for a "practical, phased transition" without "unrealistic deadlines".

He said this would allow people to adapt to change "at a pace they can afford, while [government] continues to invest in infrastructure and reduce emissions".

Writing on Facebook, Lyndon Farnham said the 2030 deadline would see the island "move faster than the market".

Comparing Jersey to other jurisdictions he said: "The European Union has set 2035 as its target for ending sales of new petrol and diesel cars, while many other jurisdictions, such as California, are also working to a 2035 timeframe.

"The United Kingdom has proposed 2030, but with flexibility and ongoing debate, and Norway's earlier ambition is supported by decades of incentives and conditions that are not comparable to Jersey."

Speaking to BBC Radio Jersey at the end of 2025, Prof Liz Bentley, who sits on Jersey's Climate Council, said "it's really important that we look at value" when it comes to investing in green policies "because there will be other priorities out there".

She also said reaching climate goals would be a "massive challenge, but it's not out of reach".

"We've made some headway in Jersey, some really positive steps forward, but there's some big steps now as we go towards 2030 and 2035 targets," Bentley added.

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