A win/win situation in which spending by the European Union achieves better value for money at the same time as promoting more environmentally sensitive solutions has been put forward by seven NGOs, including T&E.
Opinion by Jos Dings - T&E Director
Did we miss something? Last year, the European Commission didn’t propose a single new legislative measure to clean up transport. To be fair, it has been spending most of its time worrying about the future of the Eurozone. As a result, for T&E this was the sort of year where seeds for smarter transport policy were sown. We’re optimistic that next year could bring a decent crop of positive changes.
The gulf between the transport sector’s increased greenhouse gas emissions and cuts from other sectors grew again in 2008. And aviation and shipping’s share of transport emissions rose from 18% in 2007 to 24% in 2008. These are two findings from T&E’s latest report on transport emissions.
Opinion
By Nina Renshaw
T&E Deputy-Director
We had some welcome news from India earlier this month. Tyre manufacturers there are preparing to adopt the standards set in the EU regulation on tyre fuel efficiency, safety and noise, and getting ready to label their products, as that will be required for them to go on sale in the EU from 2012. Why is this welcome? Because it confirms what we have been saying for a long time – that strict standards in Europe are not a competitive disadvantage for Europe’s industry but set the pace for the rest of the world, thereby giving European companies a head start over their international competitors.
The Commission has confirmed it will publish a new white paper on EU transport policy next year. The announcement came as part of the Commission’s workplan for 2011, which is aiming to make resource efficiency a priority.
A new report launched today by seven green NGOs proposes concrete solutions to put an end to environmentally harmful subsidies within the EU Budget. In this time of austerity, European taxpayers' money is not delivering what it should, such as public goods and the well-being of Europe's citizens. Our key challenges in tackling climate change, biodiversity loss and resource inefficiency need to be prioritised ahead of funding for unnecessary infrastructure projects and the subsidising of intensive agriculture.
A report on concrete solutions to put an end to environmentally harmful subsidies within the EU Budget.
Annual data compiled by the EEA and submitted to the UNFCCC on the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions usually leave out emissions from international shipping and aviation (so-called “bunkers”).
To complement the 2008 data, T&E wrote an analysis which includes shipping and aviation figures and aims at clarifying the actual contribution of the transport sector to the EU’s CO2 emissions.
Analysis of CO2 emissions data submitted to the UNFCCC in 2008, including aviation and shipping data
The Commission has published a proposal to improve the safety and emissions performance of motorcycles and other vehicles with fewer than four wheels.