Missed opportunity for the Commission to show ambition on climate
CO2 limits for cars
The European Commission has today presented its new proposal for CO2 limits for cars. The targets proposed today are not credible, says Greens/EFA Environment and Public Health spokesperson Bas Eickhout:
"We need to see much greater ambition if we are to protect our environment and secure the long-term future of Europe’s car industry. An ambitious deal now would push the European car industry into the 21st century and bring us already to the halfway mark of the transport sector's share of the Paris climate agreement targets. The weak measures proposed today will only leave EU Member States facing a steeper challenge down the line and blow a big chance to deliver major social benefits and cost-efficiencies.
"The Commission CO2 reduction targets are simply not credible. Just to meet our own climate legislation, they need to be at very least doubled. To show so little ambition on climate at the very time that negotiations are underway at COP23 in Bonn seriously undermines EU credibility.
"The proposals on zero emission vehicles are very weak and risk becoming a loophole to undermine CO2 targets. The Commission will need to do much better if it wants to drive innovation and deliver the urgently needed shift to electric vehicles.
"Many in the German car lobby will be happy today. But they have to understand that their inaction – and the political weakness that continues to entertain it – will only cause greater harm in the long run."
Notes
The European Commission today presented its proposals to reduce CO2 emissions from cars between 2020 and 2030. The proposal foresees that CO2 emissions will fall by 30% over the period. Rather than a mandatory quota for electric vehicles, the Commission proposes an incentive system that allows manufacturers to sell vehicles with higher CO2 emissions if they sell more than 15% of electric vehicles by 2025 and more than 30% by 2030. The Commission proposals are available here: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-17-4242_en.htm
