On Monday, the European car industry, speaking through the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (the “ACEA”), made known its “serious concerns” on CO2 emissions. These are specifically as to the agreement between EU member states and the European parliament for an overall 37.5% reduction in the CO2 emissions of new cars by 2030.
Erik Jonnaert, the General Secretary of the ACEA, says the industry considers that achieving the political compromise objectives, themselves yet to be approved, will be “extremely demanding for the car industry.” He goes on, “[The objectives] necessitate growth in the market for electric cars and other alternative fuel vehicles, at a more sizable level than the industry has shown to date.”
The ACEA is requesting, of the European Commission and member states, that conditions to “implement aggressive reduction of CO2 levels” are established, in particular through infrastructure investments.
The ACEA moreover warned in its reaction, circulated by means of a communiqué, that the objectives fixed by the EU will have a “devastating effect” on employment in the car industry. The association explains, “The industry laments that this 2030 objective purely responds to political motives, without taking account of technological and socio-economic realities.”
The NGO, Transport & Environment (“T&E”), is very pleased, despite some reservations on its part. Greg Archer, of T&E, qualified, “Europe is changing gear in the course of the production of zero-emission vehicles. The new legislation means that by 2030, around one-third of new vehicles will run on electricity or hydrogen gas. It is progress but it is not fast enough to achieve our climate objectives.”
The Brussels Times
