Five EU countries plan to end the sale of polluting cars

A total of five European countries have set a date to start dispensing with sales of internal combustion cars (gasoline, diesel …), one of the most important sources of greenhouse gas emission. They are the Netherlands (in the year 2030), Ireland (2030), Great Britain (2040), France (2040) and Spain (2040).

The Netherlands and Ireland have committed to 100% of new vehicles being zero-emission by 2030.

The Netherlands also embraces the idea that transport will reduce its global emissions by 29% – on that date – compared to 2005 levels.

France has set itself the same goal by 2040, while Britain plans to end “conventional” petrol and diesel cars and vans by the same date, although the “conventional” concept is unclear.

Finally, Spain expects that by 2040 the new cars and vans will no longer be internal combustion (even gas and hybrid cars are included).

However, both the forecasts of the United Kingdom and Spain are not binding; there is no strict prohibition.

This is indicated by a compilation report by the European NGO Transport and Environment (T&E), which analyzes the drafts of the 28 national energy and climate plans 2021-2030 sent by their respective governments to the European Commission.

These documents include the measures to face the reduction of emissions, the decarbonization of the economy by 2050 and compliance with the Paris Agreement.

However, many experts consider that 2040 is a late date to be able to arrive in time to achieve full decarbonization of the vehicle fleet by 2050.

Transport policies

The T&E report analyses the extent to which transport policies (europe’s main focus of greenhouse gas generation) set up to 2030 are on track to achieve decarbonisation by 2050.

And the conclusion is clear: all countries must implement much more ambitious transport policies. If they do not meet their national targets on emission reductions, they risk having to spend public money on the purchase of emission allowances from other countries to cover their surplus gases (allocated in the Europe agreements for 2030).

Podium

Only three nations – the Netherlands, the UK and Spain – scored above 50% in an assessment of these national plans.

Ranking, Spain, the third

Only three nations – the Netherlands, the UK and Spain – scored above 50% in an assessment of these national plans.

The Netherlands is first in the ranking, but its position is contingent on the defined text of the national climate plan, and its government has already announced that it will weaken its content.

The ranking notes that Europe’s largest economy, Germany, occupies the 15th position on this list while France is in fifth place and Italy in 17th place.

Transport, analyzed

Energy and climate reports need to be assessed by the European Commission to see if they follow the path to decarbonise the economy by 205

The two worst-placed countries in the ranking stand out: Bulgaria’s plan (27th) contains nothing to reduce emissions from trucks, vans, aviation or shipping, while Hungary (28th) says it will increase its transport emissions by 30% above 2005 levels.

Criteria for giving points

To elaborate this ranking, a dozen indicators have been evaluated, the most important of which refers to the measures to ban internal combustion vehicles (gasoline and diesel) and the objectives to promote electric and other zero-emission vehicles.

Transport and Environment

The report notes the lack of policies to reduce emissions in sectors such as road transport by truck, air or navigation.

The criteria applied also penalize policies that encourage the use of gas in transport and those that favor biofuels from energy crops that compete with food. The notes granted benefit renewable energy, but harm the use of biomethane (from landfills) as fuel, considering that it is not a real practical alternative to supply vehicles, given that its potential is insufficient to supply the fleet of vehicles (*).

Scores have also been given for policies to improve the energy efficiency of vans, trucks or buses.

At this point, electrification is prioritized and the promotion of gas buses is penalized, “because they neither contribute to the mitigation of climate change nor to air quality, compared to the new diesel buses with Euro 6 homologation,” says Carlos Calvo Ambel citing the studies of his organization.

The report notes the lack of policies to reduce emissions in sectors such as road transport by truck, air or navigation.

The best in each area or indicator analyzed

1) Passenger cars: The podium is shared. Ireland aims to sell only zero-emission vehicles by 2030. The other winner is Denmark, which won’t even allow plug-in hybrids to be sold from 2035.

2) Van. Spain tops the ranking, as it includes a specific reference to light commercial vehicles, in its aspiration to be sold only zero-emission vehicles by 2040, at the latest.

3) Trucks. Austria: Forecasts a large increase in zero-emission trucks by 2040. One measure is to make the toll cheaper for these vehicles.

4) Buses. Holland. All new buses will need to be zero-emission by 2025. Poland wants to achieve 3,000 electric city buses by 2030. “A step in the right direction; but it is not enough; but a clean electricity supply system should be accompanied”

5) Aviation. Only Sweden has introduced a tax on air transport, although it is considered insufficient to decarbonise the sector.

6) Navigation. Britain is preparing a Clean Maritime Navigation Plan to deal with the remains of emissions from this sector. But, few countries include systems to provide electrical connection in ports.

7) Biofuels and renewable energies in transport. Britain plans to reduce food-linked biofuels to a maximum of 2% by 2032. In general, there is little transparency regarding the type of biofuel that would be used (if it is biofuel from energy crops, if it is second generation, its origin, if they are related to deforestation …)

8) Fossil gas and biomethane. Spain and Denmark do not mention the use of CNG and LNG in transport. Biomethane (natural gas from landfill or other sources) is mentioned but to be used in heat networks.

Far from the objectives

With many member states on a path of missing their 2030 climate targets, they will be forced, under EU rules, to buy credit from the best-performing member states, the study adds.

T&E believes that it is not only possible but also necessary to decarbonise transport by 2050 at the latest.

“So far, most eu governments’ transport climate and energy plans are moving away from the EU’s binding 2030 emissions targets. That means governments could be subpoenaed in court and fined, or they would be forced to pay economic compensation for emission reductions purchased from other EU countries,” adds Carlos Calvo Ambel.

Context

States that fail to meet emission reduction targets by 2030 would be forced to buy the surplus emissions generated

“The green wave of the EU elections shows that European citizens want the EU to defend the environment and fight climate change. The new Commission should force governments to remake their climate and energy plans, and demand that in their elaboration they do not ignore the protests of adolescents and young people in defense of their future, “says Calvo Ambel.

The European Commission must evaluate by the end of June each of the national energy and climate plans, which have been presented as drafts. And after that analysis, countries must submit their final plan before the end of 2019.

The help of the various regulations

EU legislation is one of the instruments to help member states achieve their transport targets.

For example, _CO2 regulations for cars, vans and trucks have been passed to ensure that new vehicles coming on the market by 2025 and 2030 emit less _CO2 than vehicles sold today.

However, T&E’s analysis shows that such standards will only reduce _CO2 emissions by 11% in 2030 compared to 2005 levels. In addition, states can opt for national regulations, which are critical to ensuring that goals are achieved.

The sector with the most emissions

Transport is the sector that produces the most greenhouse gas emissions each year in the EU. Decarbonizing the economy by 2050 is key to averting a climate catastrophe.

However, emissions in this sector have been growing every year in recent years.

In fact, it is the only sector in which gas emissions are well above those of 1990.

That is why Europe now has three decades ahead of it to revolutionise the modes of transport that will prevail in the middle of the century.

European countries have committed to reducing their gas emissions by 40% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, according to pledges in the Paris Agreement.

(*) The European renewable energy directive aims to achieve that a minimum of 14% of fuel is of renewable origin, including the use of electricity, but it wants to discourage biofuels that come from crops that compete with food, such as corn, cane, soybeans … Therefore, the maximum for these biofuels is 7%. Hence, if a state decides to lower this percentage below that maximum limit, it can proportionally reduce the total share of renewables.

Source: The Vanguard