Why the EU should oppose a LCA approach for vehicle emission standards

As environmentalists, T&E opposes an LCA approach for vehicle emission standards. Here's why:

• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a valuable tool but it is unsuitable for vehicle emissions standards and should not replace the current tailpipe approach. Tailpipe standards provide a clear, enforceable, and harmonised basis for regulation.

• LCA introduces high complexities which are directly opposed to the industry’s demands for simplification. It requires thousands of data points, creating a complex bureaucratic reporting and verification exercise of supply chain actors.

• LCA approaches are inconsistent and far from being harmonised under a robust methodology.

• LCA-based regulation would dilute the market signal for BEVs, by encouraging inappropriate solutions like biofuels.

• By extending the scope of the coverage, responsibilities for reaching the targets are blurred between a wide range of stakeholders (fuel and electricity producers, end users, suppliers, etc). If everyone is responsible, nobody is accountable.

• Stakeholders advocating for an LCA-based regulation have an interest in slowing down the transition to EVs and are increasingly vocal opponents to going all-electric.

Policymakers should retain the tailpipe vehicle CO₂ emissions standards as the foundation of vehicle regulation while developing other complementary policy instruments to tackle vehicle carbon footprint

To find out more, download the briefing.