A new report by T&E has concluded that any preferential access for the United Kingdom to the EU’s internal market must be conditional on the UK agreeing to respect EU environmental standards and climate targets after Brexit. The report, Putting the Environment at the Heart of Brexit, says Britain must not be allowed to gain any advantage through ‘environmental dumping’.
Biased regulations and unfair taxes have skewed the car market in Europe in favour of diesels, a new study has found. Diesel engine cars account for around half of sales in the EU while in the rest of the world they are a niche product.
The bodies that enforce the Aarhus Convention, which guarantees public access to information and justice in environmental matters, have ruled that the EU is not compliant with the convention and is showing a lack of respect for the rule of law on environmental justice.
With Paris going to host the 2024 Olympic games, it’s ramping up plans for a shared and autonomous vehicle future. Sometimes seen as a 19th century pre-car capital, the city of light could become the world’s first post-car metropolis. By 2020 all diesel cars will be banned and, by the time the games roll into town, driverless taxis should be making ride after ride – freeing up precious parking space.
A strategy for turning Europe’s car fleet from fossil-fuel-powered to electric has been outlined in a new study for T&E. It suggests the continent must set a target of electric cars making up more than a half of all new vehicles sold by 2030, and that to achieve this joint efforts must now begin between the EU, member states and industry.
An attempt at a ‘clean’ diesel comeback in Germany this month has been wrecked by claims that the country’s carmakers ran a cartel to bring down the cost of various components and technology – including on cutting emissions.
The rising scepticism about a global measure to partially offset aviation emissions was underscored this month with MEPs demanding a review in 2019 of the UN’s voluntary scheme, known as CORSIA. The European Parliament environment committee’s call for the review highlights Europe’s need to maintain an environmentally meaningful and strengthened regional measure, T&E said. The committee also voted to strengthen the EU emissions trading system’s (ETS) provisions on aviation.
