MEP proposes big CO2 cuts from cars (Garston and Halewood Liberal Democrats)

Garston and Halewood Liberal Democrats <info@garstonld.org.uk>

MEP proposes big CO2 cuts from cars

July 2, 2007 11:45 AM

Bus, cars and cyclist in traffic Car manufacturers will face severe restrictions to curb CO2 emissions from new cars if plans being put to the European Parliament gain approval.

North West MEP Chris Davies, the Parliament's rapporteur, presented his proposals to its Environment Committee on Tuesday 26 June.

He will call for average emissions from new cars to be cut by more than a quarter by 2015, and by 42% by 2020, purely by technical improvements. This would require carbon emissions to be reduced to 120g CO2/km and 95g CO2/km respectively. Latest figures suggest that new cars placed on the European market are emitting an average of 162g CO2/km.

The 2015 target proposed by the Liberal Democrat MEP is more environmentally ambitious than suggested in January by the European Commission but gives the industry more time in order make the design changes necessary.

To secure the goal Mr Davies is calling for the creation of a new market mechanism, the Carbon Allowance Reduction System (CARS). Manufacturers and importers will be required to pay a penalty in proportion to the emissions that their vehicles produce above an annual benchmark, but will be able to claim financial credits for vehicles emitting less than the average.

The MEP is also calling for a major shift in the advertising of new cars, with 20% of all space devoted to information about fuel economy and CO2 emissions.

Mr Davies said: "We give information to smokers about the effects of cigarettes, so why should we not insist that car makers give customers more information about emissions from the vehicles they sell?"

Some 19% of all Europe's carbon emissions come from passenger cars and light-commercial vehicles. Absolute volumes of CO2 continue to rise because of the growing number of cars on the roads, their greater size and much increased power.

The report was presented to the EU Environment Committee on Tuesday 26 June.

The full text of the report can be found at:

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2004_2009/documents/pr/670/670834/670834en.pdf