Van CO2 emissions/fuel efficiency
MEPs miss opportunity to push cleaner, more efficient vans
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The European Parliament's environment committee today voted on legislative proposals for implementing EU rules on CO2 emissions limits for light commercial vehicles (vans) for the year 2020. The Greens regretted the failure to strengthen the 2020 limit and described the indicative range of 2025 limits as lacking in ambition. Commenting after the vote, Green environment spokesperson Carl Schlyter said:
“MEPs have today missed an opportunity to push for cleaner, more efficient vans. More ambitious CO2 limits make both economic and environmental sense, with an estimated €5,000 savings per van over its lifetime through fuel efficiency, as well as making a greater contribution towards reaching our climate change goals. Regrettably, MEPs have not voted to capitalise on this win-win opportunity.
"While the committee adopted an indicative range for CO2 emissions limits for vans for 2025, this range lacks ambition and is far too broad to provide any kind of regulatory certainty (1). Instead of using this review to push for stricter 2020 limits, which are clearly possible, MEPs endorsed the limits proposed by the Commission (2) this will fail to stimulate real innovation towards cleaner vans. Overall, MEPs are not giving the clear long-term regulatory certainty manufacturers need to develop more fuel efficient vans in the interests of consumers and the environment.
"Regrettably MEPs also failed to remove key loopholes, which undermine the integrity of the overall CO2 limit. Provisions on 'supercredits' for low emission vehicles have effectively further undercut the already weak limits. By failing to resolve this, the EU is in effect legislating for manufacturers to bypass their limits. However, MEPs also voted for the swift implementation of new vehicle test procedures, which will give consumers more realistic information on the fuel consumption level of their vehicles and reduce consumer deception. This is a partial silver lining."
(1) The committee voted in favour of future 2025 limits for vans but with a range of limits - from 105-120 g of CO2 per km.
(2) The committee confirmed the 147 g of CO2 per km limit proposed by the Commission.
