Posted on 02/07/2007 7:58:13 PM PST by blam
EU backtracks on CO2 targets for cleaner cars
By Bruno Waterfield in Brussels and Charles Clover
Last Updated: 1:50am GMT 08/02/2007
The European Union was accused yesterday of failing its first test on climate change less than a week after UN scientists warned that urgent action was needed to fight global warming.
The European Commission said it was watering down plans to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from cars in the face of intense pressure from car manufacturers.
They have claimed the move would damage Europe's economy and force car manufacture overseas.
Environmental groups said the concession in the plans, aimed at cutting CO2 emissions from new cars by 18 per cent over five years, represented a victory for brutal economic arguments over environmental aspirations.
Despite the concession, car makers described the measures as "arbitrary and too severe" and said they would continue to fight them.
The Commission now plans to set a CO2 emission ceiling of 130 grams per kilometre for all new cars by 2012.
The average for cars sold in 2005 was 162 g/km.
The target is a step back from earlier proposals for a 120 g/km ceiling. But the Commission said Europe could still hit its 120 g/km target by 2012 because an extra 10 g/km would be saved through "complimentary measures", understood to mean the use of biofuels and more economical tyres.
The Commission says legislation is necessary because the industry has effectively failed to meet a voluntary 25 per cent reduction target for 2008.
But manufacturers blame European leaders for ducking their part of the bargain — to provide incentives for consumers to buy cleaner, smaller cars.
One car that currently comes closest to the Commission's target is the Fiat Panda 1.2 which achieves 127 g/km. That gives an indication of the investment in new technology that will be needed to make cars lighter and more efficient and to get more power out of smaller engines.
Jos Dings, of the European Federation for Transport and Environment, said: "The Commission has proposed to weaken an 11-year-old climate target for new cars just five days after the global scientific community warned policymakers to take serious and urgent action on climate change."
Christopher Macgowan, of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said: "We have brought to market cars that can meet the 120 g/km limit — the problem is that motorists do not buy them."
And now, since those filling stations aresn't repair shops, and don't need a real compressor, they have a compressor whose motor came out of an electric clock, inside that little tower over by the side of the lot. So now it takes three minutes a tire to top them off. Smart.
General Malaise follows.
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