Average emissions from new passenger cars have increased every year since 2017. The reason is spelled SUV. Photo: © vectorlab2D/ Shutterstockk.com

SUVs hinder emission reductions from traffic

The European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment (ENVI) recently published an Opinion on the Commission’s Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy. It supports the strategy’s intention to end fossil fuel subsidies and ask for better incentives in the Energy Tax Directive for sustainable transport fuels. It is also alarmed by the fact that average emissions from new passenger cars have increased every year since 2017, which to a large extent can be attributed to sales of sport utility vehicles (SUVs). This has been enabled due to the heavy vehicle adjustment factor. Furthermore, the Opinion calls on the Commission to develop life cycle assessment (LCA) methodologies to measure the full climate impact of cars.

Source: Opinion of the European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety for the Committee on Transport and Tourism on the sustainable and smart mobility strategy (2021/2046(INI))

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Main menu

SUVs hinder emission reductions from traffic

In this issue

Dependence on fossil gas cause soaring energy bills

Editorial: Promising ruling against the Energy Charter Treaty

NGOs demand a fully renewable energy system by 2040 in Europe

Energy sufficiency: a necessary complement to energy efficiency

Taxing livestock to reduce nitrogen and GHG emissions

Closing the nitrogen cycle with agroecology

Revising LULUCF regulation could be a chance for both climate and biodiversity

A global roadmap to “climate-smart” offshore renewable energy

WHO guidelines are based on science – policy should follow

Time to ban climate-threating advertising

Solutions to reach 1.5°C still available

A different COP – Communities of Practice – encourages offshore cooperation

Methane pledge must be followed by a fossil fuel phase-out target

Air pollution in Africa

EU institutions ignore latest evidence when evaluating health effects

Ocean acidification: the “Black elephant” in the Black Sea?

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