World Economic Forum aims to eliminate private car ownership by 75%

The World Economic Forum (WEF) last month outlined a framework for a 75% reduction in private car ownership by 2050 to reduce carbon emissions.

By 2050, the WEF estimates there will be about 2.1 billion cars in use which will emit 4.6 billion tons of carbon dioxide. To save the planet from “climate change” the globalist organization aims to reduce the number of cars to 0.5 billion. 

“Contain the growth of private car use by boosting public transport, cycling and shared mobility services,” says the report.

The WEF’s campaign against private car ownership stretches back several years. In 2018, the organization praised cities that decided to ban cars from certain areas, hoping it would be a rallying call “for cities around the country to go car-free."

Many major cities are answering the WEF’s call. A conglomerate of nearly 100 mayors, called the C40, are implementing Zero Emissions Areas, or “clean air zones,” where there are no carbon emissions. In Zero Emissions Areas private car transport is discouraged and residents are pushed to walk, cycle, or ride public transportation. 

This is done by reallocating road space and parking spaces to buses, cyclists and pedestrians, as well as “charging drivers to enter a clean air zone” and generally “making private vehicle use more expensive or inconvenient." All vehicles in these areas must be electric.

Paris is one such city that has already begun reallocating roads and parking spaces for pedestrians and cyclists. London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s Transport Strategy has set a target of 80% of all trips in the city to be via walking, cycling or public transit by 2041.

Reducing private car ownership, which the WEF promises will save 75% of “urban space”, is only one component of the plan. Another, says the report, is to transform urban areas into “compact cities that enable and prioritize active mobility (walking, cycling)”.

“Crucially, compact cities also offer an opportunity to revitalize urban areas, creating more economically viable communities by enhancing local services and encouraging mixed-use districts.”

C40 cities have pledged to create 15-minute cities, where public services, recreation, schools and work are located within a 15-minute walk, obviating the need to drive.

“A 15-minute city reimagines streets and public space to prioritise people not driving, building more vibrant neighbourhoods where walking and cycling are the main ways of getting around. It enables and encourages people to choose not to drive. This means reclaiming car-dominated space for more productive, social and community-building uses, upgrading walking and cycling infrastructure to better serve the daily, local trips of people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds, and expanding green space in every neighbourhood,” says the C40 website.

Cities like Oxford have already announced plans to create 15-minute neighborhoods, sparking protests against “climate ghettos”. Residents who drive outside their own neighborhoods for “non-essential needs” will be fined.