The car industry's commitment to the EU to reduce CO2 emissions: a brand-by-brand progress report
Transport is the worst performing sector under ‘Kyoto’ and seriously jeopardizes the achievement of the Kyoto targets. Transport CO2 emissions in the EU grew by 32% between 1990 and 2004. The share of transport in CO2 emissions was 21% in 1990, but by 2004 this had grown to 28%.
Emissions from so-called ‘light duty vehicles’ (passenger cars and vans) are responsible for approximately half of this.
The oil used to power the wheels of cars and vans also greatly increases the EU’s oil import dependence, that currently stands at 80 per cent and is rising. At € 55 a barrel, cars and vans cost the EU and extra €92 billions of oil imports – almost the size of the EU budget and twice the amount the EU spends on development aid.
All these figures would come down considerably if cars and vans were made more fuel efficient, something that would automatically follow from stricter CO2 limits.
Europe must stand firm over its future targets for carmakers as it cannot afford to fall further behind China.
The decision to create a Europe-wide carbon price was right but creates significant political risk. The good news is it can still be fixed.
It's about time the EU requires parts of key products to be made locally – and nowhere is this more urgent than in the battery sector.