For many of us, imagining CO2 emissions conjures up images of soot-stained chimneys belching out smoke and fumes, of run down heavy industry in Eastern Europe or the third world. But behind the smoke and mirrors, the reality is different.
Almost a quarter of all man-made CO2 emissions in the EU make their way into the atmosphere from the exhaust of a car or truck. And experts argue that our love affair with the car is probably responsible for 60% of road transport CO22 emissions.
Unlike heavy industry, a cap and trade system has never really been seen as a viable option in curbing road transport CO2 emissions. Technological advances in the design and make-up of new cars and in the fuel they use has until recently been seen as the accepted strategy.
But promises of voluntary commitments by the EU’s car industry took an interesting turn earlier this year.
The Commission and industry group the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) brokered a deal in 1998 agreeing to reduce average CO2 emissions for new cars sold in Europe to 140g per kilometre by 2008. But a report by the Commission in June suggested that previous promises by ACEA to meet reduction commitments could not now be guaranteed.
Director of clean air group, the European Federation for Transport and Environment, Jos Dings, said that the car manufacturers’ failure to meet agreed CO2 reductions was part of a strategy to weaken post-2008 targets. “This strategy began when ACEA made ludicrous claims about the costs of reducing emissions further and continues with this move, which they hope will show that the current commitment is already too tough,” said Dings, labelling the voluntary commitments as “toothless”.
Europe’s car manu-facturers also came under fire for not introducing new technological advances quickly enough.
But the car industry defends itself by arguing that other aspects within the transport sector must be taken into account when discussing car CO2 emissions, such as improving road surfaces, reducing speed limits, traffic light synchronisation and fuel and eco-driving schemes, not just vehicle technology.
As with the EU’s emissions trading scheme and the current proposals for regulating chemicals, REACH, the car industry has fallen back on that old industry stalwart, cost. “We have to be aware that vehicle technologies to reduce CO2 emissions are becoming increasingly costly,” said ACEA’s Secretary-General Ivan Hodak at a conference last year. “Vehicles have to remain affordable for the EU citizen and they have to remain competitive on the global market.” Meeting an even stricter 2012 target of 120g of CO2 per kilometre could add up to €4,000 on the price of a new car, according to the industry.
But the pressure is building for the car industry to take more innovative action, especially as oil prices rise. It is estimated that the EU spends €80 billion a year on oil imports for cars alone.
The Commission in its last progress report on reducing car CO2 emissions said that currently available technology such as injection systems, improved valve gear, alternative fuels and energy management systems could dramatically reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, and at relatively low costs.
Stringent rules on other vehicle emissions such as particulates and nitrogen oxide contained in the EU’s Euro 5 proposals are also pushing manufacturers to speed up the introduction of new technology.
Ironically, it is the US – viewed by many as the world’s environmental bad boy – that could soon introduce a cap and trade system, not unlike the EU’s emissions trading scheme, for car manufacturers. California has passed a law that will impose drastic cuts in CO2 emissions from cars, of up to 34% by 2016, through a lowering of emission limits.
And although the US system will take some time to come into force as the motor industry drags the legislation through the courts, in the environmental field, where California leads, other states tend to follow.
On 16 November the European Parliament’s rapporteur on climate change, Anders Wijkman, suggested that MEPs should lead by example and replace the Parliament’s car pool with a fleet of environmentally friendly vehicles. As the EU strives to become a global, innovation-led economy, Europe’s car manufacturers cannot afford to put their feet on the brakes.