MEP proposes extending timescale for car makers to cut CO2 emissions
Thu 21 June 2007
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The UK Liberal MEP Chris Davies has presented a report to the European Parliament Environment Committee which says that forcing car makers to cut average CO2 emissions from new cars to 130g/km by 2012 would be too costly. Davies' report proposes giving car makers an extra three years to reach the target. The report says that carmakers who fail to meet annual emissions targets should be fined, while those that meet them should be financially rewarded. It also calls for much more advertising and marketing to be devoted to providing information on fuel economy and CO2.
Chris Davies set out his blueprint for regulating CO2 from cars in a draft non-legislative report to the Environment Committee, who will shortly discuss the proposals.
The European Commission has proposed forcing carmakers to reduce average CO2 emissions from new cars to 130 grams per kilometre (g/km) by 2012. The introduction of "complementary measures" such as tyre pressure monitors and gear shift indicators would deliver a further 10g/km reduction, to enable the long-standing EU objective of 120g/km by 2012 to be met.
Mr Davies report says, however, that while car makers would have three more years to reach the target, any of the other complementary emission-cutting initiatives suggested by the EC should be "entirely supplementary". He also proposes that there should be binding interim emissions targets for each model from 2011, so that by 2015 average new car emissions are no higher than 120g/km and, by 2020, they should not exceed 95g/km.
The report also proposes that by 2015, cars emitting more than 240g/km should be banned and that the top speed for all cars should be limited to 162 km/hr by 2013. In terms of communications, the report says that there should be a requirement for at least 20 per cent by area of all advertising and marketing material to be devoted to providing information on fuel economy and CO2 emissions.
Responding to the Davies report proposals (as quoted in the FT), ACEA said that the speed ban was "beside the point" and would cut emissions by 1 per cent at the most, as most journeys were not on motorways. A spokeswoman said: "The report recognises the lead times manufacturers need [but] we are disappointed it does not address factors such as driver behaviour, infrastructure improvements to reduce congestion and tax incentives."
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