The Dutch parliament has taken the first step in banning petrol and diesel cars from sale in the Netherlands from 2025.

On Tuesday the lower house supported a motion from the Labour PvdA party to do all it can to ensure all new cars are sustainable from 2025, reports NOS. Despite strong opposition from the right-wing VVD, the motion passed and the cabinet must now come up with an action plan.

Earlier this month, the PvdA launched a plan to ban gas-guzzling cars from sale in the next 14 years, and it was supported by parties including the Liberal Democratic D66, green GroenLinks and religious ChristenUnie parties.

In 2013, the Dutch government signed an ‘energy agreement’ with around 40 organisations, agreeing to promote green energy, insulate houses and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

But Halbe Zijlstra, leader of the parliamentary VVD party, has called the potential car ban unrealistic. ‘It seems crazy to me to go ahead with this plan. I believe we should withdraw from the energy agreement.’

Slashing vehicles’ emissions was also one pledge from the UN Conference on Climate Change in Paris last year. Eight north American states and five countries (including the Netherlands) joined the International Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Alliance at the beginning of December, pledging to make all new car sales eco-friendly by 2050.