The decision of the national governments in the European Union (EU) to agree to impose stricter targets of carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction in the region has been criticised by the German automotive industry.
"I think it is regrettable that a majority of member states could not bring themselves to strike a balance between climate policy and employment in Europe," Bernhard Mattes, president of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), said in an interview to the radio station rbb-Inforadio. The organization of Mattes would continue to "participate with our arguments in this discussion" in the following rounds of talks between the EU Commission, EU Council, and European Parliament of the EU.
A compromise agreement was struck in the Council after a 13 hour long deliberation by the member states. They agreed to increase the target CO2 reduction levels to 35 per cent for any new passenger vehicles and 30 per cent for new light duty vehicles. Further, incentives to sell more low and zero emission vehicles will be offered to auto makers by the national governments.
Before the agreement was reached, there was a proposal by a number of member states of the block – led by the Netherlands and France, to set a target of 40 per cent reduction of CO2 in reaction to the latest report filed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). However, countries like Germany and a number of Eastern European members demanded that the cut off level should be kept at 30 per cent till 2030 for automotive CO2 emissions. Germany, which produces the largest number of cars in the block, had recently acknowledged that assumptions that the country would not be able to meet its own deadline of CO2 emission reduction of 40 per cent between 1990 and 2020.
Swift action by all governments can still make it possible to meet the IPCC set target of limiting increase in average global temperature by 1.5 degree, believes Manuela Matthess, an expert on International Energy and Climate Policy at the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES). But make that possible, governments need to take measures that would result in "radical emissions reductions" and stopping of use of fossil fuels, increasing the generation and reach of renewable energy sources and promotion of more sustainable patterns of consumption and production, he said.
"We do not have much time left for these unprecedented, but necessary, processes of transformation because the Earth has already warmed by one degree Celsius and as we know with catastrophic consequences for many people," Matthess warned.
The difference between knowledge of what to do and what is actually being done was "still quite large" in Germany and Europe, said the FES expert. "Like most countries on this planet, the climate goals (of Germany and the EU) must definitely become more ambitious," Matthess said.
(Source:www.xinhuanet.com)
"I think it is regrettable that a majority of member states could not bring themselves to strike a balance between climate policy and employment in Europe," Bernhard Mattes, president of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), said in an interview to the radio station rbb-Inforadio. The organization of Mattes would continue to "participate with our arguments in this discussion" in the following rounds of talks between the EU Commission, EU Council, and European Parliament of the EU.
A compromise agreement was struck in the Council after a 13 hour long deliberation by the member states. They agreed to increase the target CO2 reduction levels to 35 per cent for any new passenger vehicles and 30 per cent for new light duty vehicles. Further, incentives to sell more low and zero emission vehicles will be offered to auto makers by the national governments.
Before the agreement was reached, there was a proposal by a number of member states of the block – led by the Netherlands and France, to set a target of 40 per cent reduction of CO2 in reaction to the latest report filed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). However, countries like Germany and a number of Eastern European members demanded that the cut off level should be kept at 30 per cent till 2030 for automotive CO2 emissions. Germany, which produces the largest number of cars in the block, had recently acknowledged that assumptions that the country would not be able to meet its own deadline of CO2 emission reduction of 40 per cent between 1990 and 2020.
Swift action by all governments can still make it possible to meet the IPCC set target of limiting increase in average global temperature by 1.5 degree, believes Manuela Matthess, an expert on International Energy and Climate Policy at the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES). But make that possible, governments need to take measures that would result in "radical emissions reductions" and stopping of use of fossil fuels, increasing the generation and reach of renewable energy sources and promotion of more sustainable patterns of consumption and production, he said.
"We do not have much time left for these unprecedented, but necessary, processes of transformation because the Earth has already warmed by one degree Celsius and as we know with catastrophic consequences for many people," Matthess warned.
The difference between knowledge of what to do and what is actually being done was "still quite large" in Germany and Europe, said the FES expert. "Like most countries on this planet, the climate goals (of Germany and the EU) must definitely become more ambitious," Matthess said.
(Source:www.xinhuanet.com)
