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1. Commission issues report on transport emissions
Greenhouse gas emissions from transport in the EU could be reduced by 89% by 2050 compared with 1990 levels if all the options currently available are embraced with bold ambition, new research shows. In the final report of a project set up by the European Commission to explore emission-reduction pathways for transport to 2050, a research consortium led by consultancy AEA confirms that the transport sector can help the EU cut emissions by 80-95% by 2050. To meet an 89% cut this will mean all technical options – biofuels, vehicle energy efficiency improvements, increased use of hydrogen and electricity – need to be exploited. Together, they could cut emissions by 36% below 1990 levels by 2050. To get from 36% to 89%, non-technical measures are essential. This includes optimising routes, maximising vehicle use, better spatial planning and lower speed limits. It also requires economic instruments that create a level playing field across all transport modes, internalising external costs and removing existing subsidies.
2. European Commission adopts new standards for fuel blends
The European Commission has adopted new standards for fuel blends in line with recommendations made by the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN), following advances in vehicle technology. The 1998 fuel quality directive sets environmental specifications and analytical methods for petrol and diesel that enter the European market. The amendment updates the annexes these methods refer to. It aims to help define a controversial standardised calculation method for greenhouse gas emissions from fuels.
German government plans to introduce an energy efficiency label for cars have divided opinions. The label proposed by the German economy ministry earlier this month is modelled on the energy efficiency label for household appliances. The German car industry believes it could be a model for Europe, but it has been questioned by environmental and consumer groups. While welcoming the concept, green and consumer groups are critical of the energy efficiency categories being based on a combination of a car’s CO2 emissions and weight. Environmental group VCD argues that a car’s weight is an unsuitable parameter for an energy efficiency label and the green group has developed its own label. Meanwhile, Germany’s environment agency, the UBA, has recommended the use of CO2 in mobile air-conditioning systems.
4. EU carbon price could end the year at €25/tonne – Deutsche Bank
A report published by the Deutsche Bank suggests the price of European emission allowances (EUAs) could rise to at least €25 per tonne by the end of the year depending on forthcoming regulatory developments. The firm said that EU qualitative restrictions on certified emission reductions (CERs) beyond 2012, if introduced as suggested in a communication in May, could lead to higher pricing. In a statement on 25 August, climate commissioner Connie Hedegaard said she had asked her services to prepare “a proposal for a measure to introduce further quality restrictions on the use of credits from industrial gas projects in the post-2012 EU ETS”. Deutsche Bank expects concrete proposals in the autumn. The pricing analysis is based on the EU’s current 20% emission reduction target. For the first time the report sets out a base-case pricing analysis for a theoretical 30% EU emission reduction target. The average EUA price over 2010-20 under this scenario would be €31/t.
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