Car firms facing pollution curbs

The BBC reports in 'Car firms facing pollution curbs' that the European Commission is proposing to force carmakers to make an 18% cut in CO2 emissions from new cars by 2012:

A spokesman said the commission was aiming for a 25% cut in car emissions overall, with the "bulk of the effort" coming from better motor technology. The rest of the cut is expected to be achieved by measures such as greater use of biofuels and better tyres.

Details of the plan, which has divided the commission, are being unveiled on Wednesday after a two-week delay.Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas had wanted to force carmakers to achieve the full 25% emissions cut alone, but ran into strong opposition from the German car industry and Industry Commissioner Guenter Verheugen.

The European Federation for Transport & Envionment states that:

Transport is the worst performing sector under ‘Kyoto’ and seriously jeopardizes the achievement of the targets. Transport CO2 emissions in the EU grew by 32% between 1990 and 2004. The share of transport in CO2 emissions was 21% in 1990, but by 2004 this had grown to 28%.

Read the T&E report here as pdf