EC to call for 60% cut in transport emissions

Greenhouse gas emissions from transport should be reduced by at least 60% by 2050 compared with 1990 levels, according to a draft EU policy paper due to be published in March. Several legislative proposals will be put forward to reach this target.

Emissions have grown so much over the past decades that carbon reduction efforts will only manage to bring them down to 8% above 1990 levels by 2030, says the European Commission. Transport is the only sector where emissions continue to grow.

This represents a 20% cut compared with 2008 levels. The commission points out that it is economically more efficient to make deeper cuts in other sectors to meet the EU's long-term climate goal of a total 80-95% reduction compared with 1990 levels.

The draft policy paper, seen by ENDS, says that fuel prices can only be kept under control if transport is subjected to a drastic carbon diet. If the EU sticks to a business as usual approach, transport could still be 90% dependent on oil in 40 years.

Curbing demand for transport is not an option, according to the paper. It recommends continuing policies to improve the energy efficiency of vehicles, develop new sustainable fuels, shift more freight from roads to seas, rivers and railways and improve traffic management and infrastructures.

The draft paper also endorses the idea of increased road charging. The commission will also examine company car taxation. A conference to be held in Brussels on Monday will discuss the economic and environmental impacts of subsidies for company cars.

NGO T&E said it supported the 60% cut in transport emissions by 2050, but the short-term targets are unambitious. Director Jos Dings said emissions would have to drop by 5% each year after 2030 to reach the 2050 target. "That is very unlikely," he said.

Earlier this week, international transport body IRU said the forthcoming paper should aim to double the use of collective passenger transport, including buses. But the draft only calls for a "higher share" of such transport. Originally intended for release next week, the paper is now expected to be unveiled in late March http://www.endseurope.com/25603?referrer=bulletin&DCMP=EMC-ENDS-EUROPE-DAILY.

Follow-up: IRU press release http://www.iru.org/index/pr-app/code.1072/lang.en

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