European Union politicians cannot seem to agree on emissions standards. In fact, many politicians are divided – some are anxious to enforce green standards and want to keep up with the emissions goals of the US while others do not want the standards to interfere with the luxury car industry.
German Christian Democrat member of the European Parliament, Thomas Ulmer, is leading the discussion on the proposal to enforce a 2020 limit of an average of 95 grams of CO2 per kilometer across the EU car fleet. While noting the goal is ambitious, Ulmer also noted it is very important to meet it.
However, opposing politicians claim that since large vehicles play a pioneering role in technology, it’s important to choose realistic goals that luxury cars can meet. Instead, these politicians propose a realistic system of incentives – in order to promote environmentally-friendly propulsion concepts.
These ‘super credits,’ as they are called, allow manufactures to produce more cars that exceed the EU target if they produce low emission cars – namely hybrid and electric cars.
Politicians are doubtful this will lead to more electric cars on the road, but will instead lead to car manufacturers created more fuel efficient, environmentally friendly conventional cars.
The politicians are also trying to decide whether to set guidelines for the EU to match US emissions regulation standards that stretches to 2025. In fact, some EU politicians have criticized that the Commission’s proposal does not have much of a post-2020 vision. The US, known for gas-guzzling vehicles, will, ironically, be at the forefront of emissions standards if the EU does not make a concerted effort to keep up or surpass US efforts.
