European CO2 Emissions Now Halfway to 2009 Target

GREENHOUSE GASES European CO2 Emissions Now Halfway to 2009 TargetBRUSSELS, BELGIUM (June 15, 2007) - Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from new cars sold in the European Union have decreased by 12.4 percent from 1995 levels, according to the recently released European Commission's annual report on CO2 emissions from new cars. The report welcomes this progress but says that the industry will need to make major additional efforts to meet its commitments to cut average CO2 emissions to 140g/km by 2008/9, a reduction of around 25 percent from 1995 levels.  Road transport generates more than one fifth of all CO2 emissions in the EU, with passenger cars being responsible for more than half of these emissions. Of concern is the 22 percent increase in CO2 emissions from road transport since 1990, notably due to increases both in the number of cars on the roads as well as in the distances that are driven annually. European Commission Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas noted, "To combat climate change and respect our Kyoto commitments we have to reduce CO2 emissions from transport - a sector whose emissions contribute significantly to overall emissions. I appreciate the efforts of some car manufacturers to market cars that emit less CO2. I urge the car industry to step up its efforts to meet the 140 g of CO2/km target under the voluntary agreement. This will be crucial to achieving the Community objective of 120 g of CO2/km by 2012 at the latest."  Dimas underlined that if industry did not honour its commitments, the Commission would have to consider taking measures, including legislative ones, to ensure that the necessary CO2 reductions were achieved.(Source: European Commission)