Car carbon reduction falls short of target

Average carbon dioxide emissions from new cars sold in Europe were cut by around one per cent in 2005 according to the latest figures published in a report by

(Environmental Data Services). In order to meet the industry's voluntary 2008/9 target of 140g/km, carmakers will need an unprecedented improvement rate of over four per cent a year according to the European Federation for Transport and the Environment (T&E).

European, Japanese and Korean carmakers now stand virtually no chance of meeting CO2 targets agreed with the EU, said Brussels-based T&E who sourced the sales data on which the figures are based from a German consultancy also used by the European Commission.

The industry agreed in 1998 to reduce average new vehicle CO2 output to 140 grams per kilometre by 2008/9, compared with 186 g/km in 1995.

European manufacturers have achieved the lowest average emissions - 160 g/km average in 2005 compared with 169 g/km for Japanese-made cars and 172g/km for those made in Korea.

A European Commission spokesperson said that T&E’s data would need to be checked against official EU figures.

T&E’s revelation is timed to coincide with a European Commission review of EU policy on vehicle CO2 emissions due in mid-2006. This will explore how Europe can build on the existing voluntary agreement to achieve a more ambitious goal of average 120 g/km emissions from new vehicles.