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Greener transport
European strategy targets car emissions
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© Peter Gutierrez |
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The Community Strategy to reduce CO2 emissions from cars is a major part of the Union’s overall environment and transport policy, engaging carmakers and helping to ensure a greener transport system and better quality of life for the world’s citizens.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from automobiles are a major contributor to climate change, particularly in the industrialised countries. While they arise at nearly every stage of a motor vehicle's life, including extraction of raw materials and manufacturing of component parts, it is the combustion of petrol and diesel fuels during vehicle use that accounts for the greatest share of vehicle-related CO2 emissions.
The Community Strategy to reduce CO2 emissions from passenger cars and improve fuel economy is based on three pillars, namely commitments of the automobile industry to fuel-economy improvements, the labelling of new cars, and the promotion of fuel efficiency through fiscal measures. Since CO2 emissions are linked to fuel consumption, a car that emits less CO2 will consume less fuel, and hence have smaller running costs! The EU has an objective of 120g CO2/km, which corresponds to 4.5l/100km for diesel cars, and 5l/100km for petrol cars.
 Car manufacturers keeping promisesAt the present time, the European, Japanese and Korean automobile manufacturers’ associations (ACEA, JAMA and KAMA, respectively), which supply some 98% of the cars on the EU market, have negotiated and are implementing important voluntary commitments:
- All parties are working towards the same quantified average emission objectives for new passenger cars;
- Targets are to be achieved mainly through technological developments and market changes.
ACEA, JAMA and KAMA have so far met all their obligations under their respective commitments and, in doing so, have made a sizeable contribution to the success of the approach. Better information for consumersCoupled with technical advances, consumers still need to be convinced to buy more efficient cars if the benefits are to be enjoyed. This means providing better information on fuel economy at the point of sale, and this is the aim of the EU car labelling scheme: a 1999 Directive requires that: - A label on fuel consumption and CO2 emissions and a poster are displayed at the point of sale of each new passenger car;
- A guide presenting these data is freely available for all new vehicles offered for sale;
- Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions data are included in printed material used to market, advertise and promote new cars.
Fiscal measures upping the pressureIn 2002, the European Commission published a Communication on the taxation of passenger cars in the EU, laying out a number of options for future action. This was followed by a wide consultation of stakeholders and a subsequent July 2005 proposal for a Directive on passenger car-related taxes, which would require Member States that have such taxes to include a CO2 element in their calculation.
A new Communication offering options for further CO2 reductions, beyond the current voluntary commitments, will be presented in 2006. Experts are investigating the potential for additional progress on the vehicle side, but also complementary measures such as alternative fuels, low resistance tyres and lubricants, tyre pressure monitoring systems and more energy-efficient air conditioners. Cars are responsible for around 10% of the EU's CO2 emissions, so every reduction makes a big difference.
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Specifics
Average emission for newly registered passenger cars (EU15): 1995: 186g CO2/km 2003: 164g CO2/km
Goals of the Community’s CO2 reduction strategy: |
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Further information
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