Lorries: 21st-century fleet or dinosaurs on our roads?

Driving Europe’s transport ind-ustry in a more sus-tainable direction is a formidable challenge, not least because it means  a fairly fun-damental change in the way fairly large industries do their business. It is in the DNA of these industries to resist change forced upon them by politicians. Carmakers oppose CO2 standards that make them fit clean tech to their cars, the aviation and shipping industries oppose doing their share and of course oil companies fight any kind of change that could end our addiction to their products.

95g carbon target within carmakers’ reach – report

Most European carmakers are on track to meet their CO2 targets by the 2021 deadline, T&E’s 2014 cars and CO2 report has indicated. Five of Europe’s seven major car manufacturing companies will have fleet average emissions of 95 grams of CO2 per km or less if they keep progressing as they have since the introduction of the law in 2008.

Governments want 8-year prohibition of safer lorries

EU transport ministers will this week decide whether to approve changing the design rules for lorry cabins which will make them safer and more fuel efficient. Last month, governments reached a provisional agreement on the changes but set a delay of eight years before redesigned lorry cabs can be produced in Europe.

Progress at last in biofuels policy debate

European governments have reached a provisional agreement to amend the EU’s biofuels policy. The deal, struck last week by member states’ ambassadors, would cap the use of food-based biofuels that are eligible to count towards carbon reduction targets at 7% of transport fuel.

Netherlands and Germany fine foreign airlines over ETS

Germany has been joined by the Netherlands in enforcement against airlines for breaching EU emissions-trading rules. The Dutch authority is to charge a Chinese airline an administrative fine for failing to submit an annual emissions report for 2012. The same airline also faces a €100 per tonne of CO2 fine for not surrendering carbon allowances, according to a report in ENDS Europe.

The world’s first electric road?

A project to create the world’s first ‘sustainable motorway’ has been launched in the Netherlands by two environmental organisations, T&E members Milieudefensie and Natuur & Milieu.

Shell in top 3 of gamblers in high-risk tar sands investments

Shell ranked third in the list of oil companies with the largest exposure to high-cost, high-carbon tar sands production, according to a new report. The analysis found that Shell has almost $26 billion (€19 billion) in planned investments in tar sands extraction for the next decade, which will only see a return if the barrel of oil costs more than $95 – a price tag that assumes world governments won’t fulfil their pledge to tackle global warming and strong oil demand.

Does throwing money at buyers help sales of electric cars?

Norway and the Netherlands are the world’s leading countries for electric car use, but also the countries that spend most money making e-vehicles attractive to buyers. These are the findings of a new report by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) on the take-up of electric vehicles. T&E says the report shows that money alone will not grow the electric car market.

Climate change report wake-up call to America

A new report showing what effect climate change is having on the US has been published by the Obama administration. Some environmental groups hope it will make the American political climate more receptive to action to reduce greenhouse gases, but environmental action still faces considerable opposition.

Potential for biomass overestimated – studies

The amount of biomass available for energy is likely to be a lot less than previously thought. Two new studies have suggested the Commission has overestimated the amount of land that will be usable for energy crops, at least without displacing food or damaging habitats, and the demand for wood as an energy source will probably outstrip the amount that can be safely and sustainably extracted from European forests.