Transport and Environment - Bulletin / News and views from the field of transport and environment in Europe
The printable version of the March 2011 Bulletin can be downloaded from our website.
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March 2011:
White paper postpones serious transport CO2 cuts until 2030
A leaked draft of the Commission’s new white paper on the future of transport says EU transport should look to reduce its emissions by ‘at least 60%’ by 2050 compared to 1990, but that almost all of these cuts would take place after 2030. The paper is expected to be published later this month, but the Commission has issued a low carbon ‘roadmap’ which says Europe must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by the end of this decade if 2050 goals are to be achieved. T&E has welcomed the transport target, but says the plan for reaching it is insufficient because it postpones short-term action to the point where emissions reductions will ‘magically’ have to intensify after 2030.
Will EU stand up to Canada on tar sands?
Europe’s climate commissioner Connie Hedegaard is promising to stand firm on a growing battle between the EU and Canada over the environmental status of tar sand fuels. Reports last month said Canada was threatening to pull out of a wide-ranging trade deal with the EU if Brussels insisted on giving tar sands a higher carbon value than conventionally extracted oil, although the Canadians have since denied this.
First moves on company cars
The Commission says it is taking the first steps towards tackling the problem of tax subsidies that come through favourable treatment of company cars. Its draft transport white paper identifies company car taxation as a problem, and earlier this month it co-hosted a seminar to discuss the issue.
Weakened van deal agreed as industry signals crisis is over
MEPs last month approved fuel efficiency standards for vans, just as the van industry, which had lobbied hard for the standards to be weakened because of the economic crisis hitting the automotive industry, gave indications that the crisis was ending.
Failure to ratify shipping emissions law could threaten IMO progress
The Clean Shipping Coalition, of which T&E is a leading member, has written to the Hungarian presidency of the EU, calling on it to act quickly to get five EU member states plus Monaco to ratify the Marpol Annex VI regulation on ship pollution. The move is important, as it could affect whether efforts by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to reduce greenhouse emissions from ships are successful or not.
Time to start using less of the black stuff
Opinion
by Nina Renshaw - T&E Deputy Director
As oil prices have risen in recent months, politicians and commentators across the EU have begun calling for all kinds of non-solutions such as lowering petrol taxes, encouraging oil states to raise production and dipping into strategic reserves. It seems once again that the most obvious strategy – using less of the black stuff – is so obvious that it is not even considered.
Evidence of indirect land-use change is clear, says report
A report by Germany’s Öko Institut says there is sufficient scientific knowledge for the EU to include the effects of indirect land use change (Iluc) in its sustainability criteria to determine which biofuels will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The report was commissioned by the European Parliament’s environment committee, and puts further pressure on the Commission to include ILUC in its assessment of policy options on biofuels due to be published in July.
Spain cuts rail fares and speed limits ‘to save money’
Spain is reducing the cost of commuter and short-distance rail tickets and has cut its motorway speed limit from 120 km/h to 110 to help people save money following the sudden rise in oil prices following the recent upheavals in the Arab world.
EU ‘twists Korea’s arm’ over fuel standards
The EU has pushed for – and secured – a relaxation in South Korea’s car efficiency standards in order to allow a wide-ranging EU-Korean trade agreement to be completed.
Cutting CO2 will boost GDP in all EU member states
Europe could lose economically if it does not adopt a 30% CO2 emissions reduction target for 2020. That is the conclusion of a report for the German environment ministry which challenges traditional economic assessments of emissions reduction.
Australian village changed its name from "Speed" to "Speed Kills"
An Australian village has created an interesting way of drawing attention to the dangers of speed on the roads.
