Pew Centre proposes tradable emissions standards for US transport sector
Sat 02 September 2006
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A leading US NGO has recommended that transport must be included in a comprehensive approach to climate change and proposes that existing CAFE standards should be adapted to reflect carbon emissions and the scheme supported by tradable allowances.
The Pew Center on Global Climate Change, a Washington DC-based NGO, says that the US transport sector is responsible for one-third of all the country's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It proposes that the existing Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards imposed on auto manufacturers be converted to a system that measures average CO2 emissions per mile for cars and light trucks. Under this scheme, manufacturers that over-achieve GHG targets would receive allowances that could be banked or traded. Companies might also get credit for producing zero-emission or low-GHG vehicles and hydrogen fueling stations.
However, the Pew Centre says that the first step for the US should be to establish a system for monitoring and reporting GHG emissions. A mandatory GHG reporting scheme would provide a foundation for a future emissions reduction programme and offer a basis for government assurances that companies would not be penalised for early reductions.
Related Links
Pew Centre - report link
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