MEPs will vote to toughen car emission standards next week as they step up EU efforts to combat climate change.
Cars and vans produce about 15% of the EU’s CO2 emissions, which contribute to climate change.
Figures show that transport is only sector in which greenhouse gas emissions are still higher than they were in 1990.
Toughening car emissions standards would help to achieve the EU’s climate targets for 2030 and consumers would save on their fuel bills.
Average emissions by new cars rose to 118.5g CO2/km last year following a steady decline over the past few years, according to recent data. Under current rules, the average new car must not emit more than 95g/km by 2021. The same figures show that average emissions in Cyprus in 2017 were 122.2.
And although the number of electric cars is growing fast, but they still make up less than 1.5% of new registrations.
The European Commission is proposing to reduce the 2021 limit for emissions by 15% from 2025 and by 30% from 2030.
New targets are expressed in percentages because the 95 g/km standard will have to be recalculated according to the new more rigorous emissions test that better reflects real driving conditions.
Parliament’s environment committee said emissions should be cut respectively by 20% and 45%, while 40% of new cars sold from 2030 should be electric and hybrid.
They also called for EU measures to ease the automotive industry’s shift to cleaner cars to help protect jobs.
MEPs vote on the proposals and the amendments proposed by the environment committee during the plenary session in Strasbourg next week.
