Reducing CO2 Emissions from Passenger Cars
Background
Transport is considered as one of the most important sectors to achieving the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions laid down in the Kyoto Protocol. In fact, the European Commission estimates that cars account for some 12 per cent of overall CO2 emissions. [Impact Assessment for Regulation 443/2009 from December 2007]. In recent years car manufacturers have introduced over fifty new CO2 reduction technologies to improve vehicle performance, for example through improved engine design, the use of lightweight new materials, development of alternatively-fuelled vehicles and in-vehicle driver aids. However, to date these measures have done little to mitigate the climate impacts from cars. According to Transport and Environment (2009 at 7):
‘Transport is the worst performing sector under Kyoto and seriously jeopardises the achievement of the targets. Transport CO2 emissions in the EU grew by 36% between 1990 and 2007. Other sectors reduced their emissions by 9% on average over the same period. The share of transport in CO2 emissions was 21% in 1990, but by 2007 this had grown to 28%. The European Environment Agency estimates that cars are responsible for 14% of the EU’s total CO2 emissions.’
Clearly, huge changes are needed in all aspects of land transport and the impact it will have on climate change.
In 2009 the European Union under Regulation (EC) 443/2009 introduced mandatory CO2 emissions reduction targets for passenger cars. This establishes an over-arching target of 120 g/km for the entire average new car fleet to be reached by 2015. The way in which the Regulation envisages compliance with the CO2 emission target is predominantly by means of improvement in vehicle technology which must account for the reduction to at least 130 g/km by 2015 in 100% of the new car fleet. The further 10 g/km reduction in CO2 emissions should be obtained through additional measures in the form of "other technological improvements".
BRASS/CAIR have been commissioned by Greenpeace International to carry out a feasibility study into the extent to which it would be possible for the EU automotive sector to reduce average new car CO2 emissions to a fleet average of 80 g/km by 2020. A number of scenarios are presented in which we argue it is possible and legitimate to reconsider a lower fleet CO2 emission of 80 g/km for 2020. In doing so, various and innovative technologies for co2 reduction are considered according to economic and market forces. Recognising that regulatory standards can create impetus for technological progress, these scenarios are supported by an identification of the necessary legislative and policy measures required to achieve the more stringent target.
Broadly, the intention of the project is to demonstrate plausibly that the European Commission and the automotive industry have been unduly conservative in their estimation of the extent of CO2 emissions reductions possible, and that the attendant costs are not as high as are indicated. Moreover, changes can be achieved at a faster rate than is assumed by the European Commission.
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