Politics and biofuels don't mix

A major international conference on the future of lorry charging to achieve a cleaner, smarter and more competitive Europe.

| Lorries & Road Freight | Events | Pricing & Taxation

The fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of vans can be cut much more quickly and cheaply than the European Commission's research suggests. That's the message from two new reports published by T&E. The first study says that fitting less powerful and smaller engines has been an overlooked but quick and cheap option to reduce emissions. The second report suggests emissions can be cut even more by limiting a vehicle's maximum speed.

Jul 22, 2010 | T&E Bulletin | Vans | Climate Change & Energy

Another two independent scientific studies have cast further doubt on the EU’s policy of pushing for biofuels to make up 10% of the transport market by 2020. And in a special report, the Reuters news agency says the general picture that emerges from a series of Commission documents is that EU officials might have ‘deliberately skewed the findings of scientific studies to fit their policies’.

Jul 22, 2010 | Fuels | T&E Bulletin | Climate Change & Energy

Europe’s road transport in 2050 will involve lower speed limits and very few internal combustion engines. That is the vision that emerges from a Commission consultation on how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from Europe’s transport sector.

Jul 22, 2010 | General Environment | General Transport | T&E Bulletin

Belgium has confirmed it intends to shepherd the revision of the Eurovignette directive through the EU’s legislative process by the end of the year.

Jul 22, 2010 | Lorries & Road Freight | Pricing & Taxation | T&E Bulletin

The newly-founded Clean Shipping Coalition (CSC) has been granted interim observer status at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

Jul 22, 2010 | Shipping | T&E Bulletin

EU legislation to improve air quality on land and at sea is to be delayed until 2013. The environment commissioner Janez Potočnik says the measures to revise the National Emissions Ceilings directive and other air quality legislation will be too expensive, and he has other priorities for the next couple of years, but his assessment has been strongly criticised by environmental and health groups.

Jul 22, 2010 | Air Pollution | T&E Bulletin

Two new independent scientific studies launched today cast further doubt on the EU’s policy of promoting biomass as fuel for heat and power generation, and biofuels for transport, [1] according to BirdLife International, the European Environmental Bureau and Transport & Environment.   

Jun 29, 2010 | Climate Change & Energy | Fuels

The German government has announced it is to introduce a tax on international air tickets. The move would make it the fourth western European nation following France, Great Britain and Ireland to have an aviation ticket tax.

Jun 17, 2010 | Aviation | Pricing & Taxation | T&E Bulletin

The Commission has published its guidance on the sustainability and certification of biofuels, which it hopes will stop the loss of credibility in the EU’s biofuels policy. But the new guidelines for the sustainability of biofuels production still do not take indirect land-use change into account, which experts and campaign groups say is the most crucial issue.

Jun 17, 2010 | Climate Change & Energy | Fuels | T&E Bulletin

A new study from the International Transport Forum reports a drop in transport demand and emissions during the global economic downturn, but says the long-term global trend continues to show growing demand for transport.

Jun 17, 2010 | General Transport | T&E Bulletin

President Obama has ordered the US environmental protection agency and department for transport to develop greenhouse gas standards for medium- and heavy-duty lorries.

Jun 17, 2010 | Lorries & Road Freight | T&E Bulletin | Fuels

A transatlantic coalition of environmental NGOs has been recognised as having sufficient expertise to be allowed to submit evidence to a court case in which three American airlines are claiming the EU’s decision to force aviation into the Emissions Trading Scheme is illegal.

Jun 17, 2010 | Aviation | T&E Bulletin

A group of NGOs, including T&E, has sent an open letter to EU president Herman van Rompuy, on the eve of the European Council on 17-18 June, pointing out how investing in a green economy could help the EU overcome the economic crisis.

Jun 16, 2010 | Climate Change & Energy | General Environment

The European Commission’s communication on biofuel sustainability (1), published today, will do precious little to address the impacts on land and emissions from crop-derived fuels used in transport, according to BirdLife International, ClientEarth, the European Environmental Bureau and Transport & Environment. The four environmental groups remain deeply concerned about the Commission’s failure to address the critical issue of expansion of agricultural land into environmentally sensitive areas when food production is displaced by fuel crops, a process known as indirect land use change (ILUC).

Jun 10, 2010 | Climate Change & Energy | Fuels | Press Releases

In a letter sent to the European Commissioner for the Environment, Janez Potocnik, T&E - together with a coalition of NGOs - has urged the Commission to stop postponing the adoption of legislation in the field of air pollution and has called for stricter national emission ceilings.

Jun 09, 2010 | Air Pollution | Shipping

A transatlantic coalition of environmental groups today joined an action at the UK High Court to defend Europe’s right to tackle carbon emissions from foreign aircraft that visit Europe.

May 27, 2010 | Press Releases | Climate Change & Energy | Aviation

Efforts to reduce climate emissions from road freight transport were given a boost last month when the Commission suggested the introduction of carbon dioxide emissions standards for the first time. The idea has been floated in a communication on clean and energy-efficient vehicles, which concentrates mainly on setting a framework for the development of electric cars.

May 20, 2010 | Lorries & Road Freight | Fuels | Climate Change & Energy | Cars | T&E Bulletin

A report for the German government says a range of measures, headed by traffic avoidance, needs to be adopted if transport is to make a meaningful contribution to fighting climate change. The report comes as the latest TERM report on the environmental performance of Europe’s transport shows polluting modes are still rising.

May 20, 2010 | Climate Change & Energy | General Transport | T&E Bulletin

The Commission has dismissed suggestions by the aviation industry that the cloud of volcanic ash from Iceland that disrupted flights over north-western Europe last month should alter the terms under which aviation enters the EU Emissions Trading Scheme in 2012.

May 20, 2010 | Climate Change & Energy | Aviation | T&E Bulletin