his summer will be decisive for the European car industry, as in the coming months European Union legislators will decide on the date by which all new cars and vans must be ’emission-free’.
The main source of CO2 emissions is transport. The European Union is at a decisive moment to adopt the rules for clean vehicles and the European Commission is proposing to sell only new zero-emission vans and cars from 2035. A decision that is not final, but which offers many possibilities to be approved by the plenary of the European Union. Countries such as Germany, Italy and Spain are positive about this ambition.
These regulations were analyzed at the recent European Automotive Climate Summit held in Madrid and organized by Transport & Environment (T&E), Europe’s leading clean transport group. A summit that has welcomed government, industrial and union leaders, as well as environmental and consumer advocates.
“Two years ago, with the Covid crisis, it looked like things were going to change, but I am sorry to tell you that we have already reached three quarters of the pre-pandemic emissions, and in the aviation sector alone it is already 100% said William Todts, executive director of T&E.
For those in charge of this organization, renewable energy is the solution, “enabling us to stop being dependent on fossil fuels and on countries like Russia, Saudi Arabia and the like. And clean transport is not just about electric cars, it is also about traveling alone if you have to, by bicycle or by public transport.
“If we want to electrify transport, we have to increase electricity generation, and it has to be renewable,” explains Pascal Canfin, chair of the ENVI (Environmental, Public Health and Food Safety) committee of the European Parliament.
“In 2030 we want 45% of our energy consumption to come from renewable sources, but today we are at 22%. It has taken us seven years to duplicate what we have built in decades, we need to advance the green transition even more,” he said.
“There is a majority in the European Parliament that supports the 45% target in transport, also in the war context in which we live and in which we have to guarantee the gas supply.”
“This is the first time Germany has supported such an ambitious low-emission target,” said Christiane Rohleder, State Secretary at the German Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection.
Christiane Rohleder, State Secretary at the German Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection, emphasized that this is the first time Germany has supported such an ambitious target for low emissions.
However, he has acknowledged that the CO2 reduction target “will not be enough” as the only way to reach 15 million electric vehicles by 2030. “In addition, many car manufacturers have already decided to reduce the production of combustion cars even in this same decade of the 20». However, he acknowledged that “the CO2 reduction target will not be sufficient as the only means of achieving 15 million electric vehicles”.
“Italy agrees with the European Commission’s proposal to increase the ambition by the 2035 targets, especially in light transport and vans, and in the case of biofuels, we propose to use them where there are no alternatives,” added he, for his part, Enrico Giovannini. , Minister of Sustainable Transport and Infrastructure of Italy.
“But we know the reality of our country, with the oldest vehicle fleet in the EU, emerging from recession due to the pandemic and an uncertain economic future.” Italy sets a target of 6 million electric vehicles by 2030, but sees the change process as difficult, “because it will be anything but linear, we need to know what the reaction of the market and people is, Italians are saving because they are worried about their future”.
Enrico Giovannini has acknowledged that “Italy is late compared to other European countries, with a low number of charging points and electric vehicles driving on the roads, but we are ready to facilitate the transition”.
This delay has also been acknowledged by Joan Groizard, General Manager of the IDAE (Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving). “We are lagging behind because of our purchasing power, and also because of a geographical problem. 90% of our mobility is short distances, but traveling across the country means taking very long trips due to the size of the area.”
In Spain, “a large part of our economy is somehow connected to the automotive sector. The transformation in this sector aims to strengthen the green autonomy of Spain and Europe».
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
