The average CO2 emissions of newly registered cars has registered a downward trend since August to fall below 120g/km, said the Department of Transport in a statement on Wednesday. The average was also below 120g/km in December 2011, but was at the time due to the large increase in sales of low-emission vehicles before the government incentive on such vehicles came to an end on January 1st 2012.
Belgium's average of 120g/km in 2013, was already an improvement on the 127g/km average for Europe as a whole. Under new EU regulations, newly registered vehicles will have to come in under 130g/km by 2015. This maximum will then be reduced to 95g/km in 2020.
The difference in emissions between diesel cars and petrol vehicles remains significant. In September 2014, a newly registered diesel car's CO emissions were on average 116 grams per km, inn comparison to 126g for a car running on unleaded.
(Source: Belga)