Polluting cars to be banned in the UK by 2035
The UK Government has decided to ban the sale of new petrol, diesel or hybrid cars by 2035 instead of 2040 as initially planned. The decision came after experts said 2040 would be too late if the UK aims to achieve its carbon emission goals of by 2050.
Last November, at the launch of a United Nations climate summit at London's Science Museum, Boris Johnson announced that 2020 would be a "defining year of climate action", a statement which David Attenborough, who was also present, found "encouraging". The COP26 summit will be hosted in Glasgow this November and the UN will be sure to assess the progress made tackling climate change.
Once this new regulation comes into effect, people will only be able to buy electric or hydrogen cars and vans. However, the auto industry sees this decision as unworkable, and has warned it would lead consumers to keep their polluting cars for longer.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders urged the government to offer transparent buying incentives for consumers and to make sure that people from “all income groups and regions” can afford cars, as "this is about market transformation."
Social media bosses could be held accountable for harmful content
In recent years, ministers have been pressured to react quickly since major concerns rose about the role of the internet in the diffusion of material relating to terrorism, child abuse, self-harm and suicide. Baroness Morgan Culture Secretary wants social media bosses to be held personally responsible for the damaging content published on their online channels.
Ofcom, the UK's communications regulator will be appointed by Culture Secretary to enforce the statutory duty of care that requires tech giants like Facebook and Google to protect children from material including, but not limited to abuse and self-harm. Companies will be required to appoint a director to be personally responsible for making sure legal standards are maintained, with any breaches resulting in potential criminal prosecution. Businesses must ensure that they meet the duty of care by strengthening the safety of their products and platforms and by supporting users who have suffered harm.
#MaddyKeynote2020 highlights
The Maddyness UK Team attended the Maddy Keynote in Paris, an event organised by Maddyness and now in its fifth year, which took place at the stunning Centquatre de Paris. This year, the event focused on the ways we need to adjust to social and environmental changes, showcasing innovative startups and companies achieving great things to tackle these mutations.
Together with the interactive showcases and demos that took place during the event, a series of remarkable and inspiring speakers presented their visionary approaches of tech, climate change, fintech, and AI. Ed Scott Clarke, Video Producer and climate change specialist at CNN International explained how global waste is impacting vulnerable populations, David Carroll, who played a major role in the Cambridge Analytica case, highlighted the importance of data privacy and Barbara Belvisi raised the question of life on Mars and how it should influence the way we live.
Maddy Keynote in numbers? 2 days, over 10,500 visitors, 150,000 live-stream viewers, and a team of 30 happy faces.
