Europe to impose new limits on car emissions

Feature previews the results of the European Commission's review of EU strategy to reduce CO2 emissions from passenger cars to be announced 7 February 2007.

The EU strategy to reduce CO2 emissions from cars aims at ensuring that new cars emit on average no more than 120g CO2 per km by 2012. The Commission has undertaken a review of whether the strategy is on track to meet this target, and on the 7 February 2007 was expected tol announce the outcome and possible further measures to be taken.

The current strategy has three pillars. The main pillar comprises voluntary commitments by the European, Japanese and Korean motor industries to reduce the average emissions of their new cars to 140g CO2/km by 2008/2009 – a cut of around 25% from 1995 levels. The reduction to date, however, is only 12.4%, which the Commission has described as not satisfactory.

Consumer labelling of cars to show their fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, and taxation measures to encourage consumers to buy fuel-efficient cars, form the second and third pillars of the strategy.

European Commission: DG Environment: Air: Air Pollutants: CO2 and Cars http://ec.europa.eu/environment/co2/co2_home.htm

European Commission: DG Enterprise and Industry: Industry sector: Automobiles: Emissions http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/automotive/pagesbackground/pollutant_emission/index.htm

BBC News, 6.2.07: Car industry facing 18% CO2 cut http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6334327.stm

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