• Cleaner is Cheaper

    Why European climate policy for cars is failing, and what can be done about it.

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    In 1996, the European Union made a commitment to its citizens – it would ensure that the average new car would emit no more than 120 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre. And it set a deadline for achieving this of 2005, or 2010 at the absolute latest. This realistic com- mitment has been re-stated on several occasions by heads of government and other ministers.

    It is now the end of 2005. With average new car CO2 emissions at around 160 g/km, the EU’s first deadline has been missed by a long way, and the rate of progress makes it clear that even the deadline of 2010 will not be met. Also the target of the voluntary commitment of the car industry, 140 g/km by 2008, will almost certainly be missed. The Commission has informally postponed its target date for 120 g/km to 2012, yet in recent months it has allowed a chorus to develop, according to which even that is not feasible.

    With the Commission due to publish early in 2006 how it sees the next stage of CO2 emis- sions reduction,T&E is keen to stress three things:

    • Why it is important that the 120 g/km target is reached by 2012 at the latest;
    • Why claims from the automotive industry that this target is not technically feasible are without any foundation;
    • What action is now needed to maximise technological developments to reduce CO2 not just to 120 g/km but even lower.

    This publication explains these three central aspects of the debate.