BP’s chief economist Spencer Dale warned last night that the transport sector was only a “small part” of the overall carbon emissions issue.
He claimed that despite the increase in renewable energy, the power and heavy industry remains the greatest emitting sectors worldwide.
Mr Dale was speaking during BP’s Energy Outlook presentation last night.
He warned that although electric cars are “important”, they don’t “move the dial” in terms of lowering carbon emissions to any great degree.
He said: “There is no unique path to Paris.
“The transport sector is only a small part of emissions.
“Electric cars are important in terms or removing emissions from the air, in terms of overall emissions, they just don’t move the dial.”
Mr Dale told audience members to “think power first, second and third” if any significant strides are to be made in lowering carbon.
He added that oil continues to dominate the transport market, with electric vehicles only a small part of the solution to the overall problem.
However, Mr Dale added that as part of the BP Energy Outlook model, people are likely to see more electric electric powered cars on the road by the end of the next decade.
He said: “Many energies are going to be needed for many years.
“This isn’t a race to renewables it’s a race to reduce carbon emissions.
“The use of electric passenger cars is amplified by the emergence of autonomous cars (AVs) from the early 2020s offering low-cost, shared-mobility services, predominantly in electric cars.
“As a result, around 25% of passenger vehicles are powered by electricity in 2040, even though only 15% of cars are electrified.”
Yet despite this, Mr Dale added that “further tightening” of vehicle efficiency standards is required due to increased emissions in the transport sector.
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