Four years after the Dieselgate scandal began, the number of grossly polluting diesel cars and vans on Europe’s roads still continues to grow and now totals up to 51 million.
Several years of efforts at international level have resulted in the creation of a global offsetting scheme for international aviation, known as the Carbon Offsetting Scheme for International Aviation (Corsia). Further rules for this mechanism were adopted by the UN aviation agency, ICAO, in the June 2019. This provides an opportunity to make an interim assessment of the mechanisms potential effectiveness, and to contrast that potential effectiveness with existing obligations on the aviation sector under the EU’s 2030 emissions target and legislation.
This paper shows through research and transport modelling the possible outcomes of the autonomous (and connected), electric, shared (new mobility), and urban planning revolutions. Based on the scenarios modelled, it issues recommendations to policy makers on steering these revolutions toward public-policy goals of reducing emissions and congestion.
On 19 September T&E published its paper ‘Do gas trucks reduce emissions?’ discussing air pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions from diesel and gas-powered trucks. Most of the findings were based on on-road tests commissioned by the Dutch government, performed by TNO. After the publication, different stakeholders, mainly from the gas lobby questioned our results and reacted in press releases and media outlets. In this briefing, downloadable below, T&E responds to the claims made by those stakeholders.
This paper estimates that the EU gives more than €24 billion per year in subsidies to maritime sector in the form of fossil fuel tax exemptions under the European Energy Tax Directive (ETD) and national tax legislation. This is estimated based on national tax rates applicable to road diesel – used by trucks – in EU member states. Each tonne of CO2 emitted by fossil ships causes the same level of climate change as the CO2 emitted by fossil trucks. Hence, there are no ethical or environmental grounds to treat the maritime industry more leniently in European environmental regulation. In the context of the continent’s climate objectives, this is not only an anachronism but also a perverse incentive for climate pollution.