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Germany proposes car emissions label |
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New German cars may need a "climate passport" to alert consumers of heavily polluting vehicles, according to a proposal by Environment Minister Gabriel.
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2007-05-29
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Similar to efficiency certificates found on European household appliances like fridges, the new emissions label would detail carbon dioxide emissions and give an indication of the car’s fuel consumption. The label would thus show two scales running from red (high emission – low efficiency) to green (low emissions – high efficiency). Under the proposal from Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel, every new car to be sold in Germany would have to show the certificate next to the price sticker on the window pane, thereby helping consumers to opt for fuel-efficient and low-emissive vehicles.
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Label design
More specifically, the "climate passport" would indicate the manufacturer, model type, fuel consumption and the related car taxation. On a first scale reflecting carbon dioxide emissions a target value of 130 g/km would serve as a reference. This value corresponds to an EU-wide CO2 emission limit for new cars proposed by the European Commission in February. The legislation would require German carmakers to achieve an overall target of 120 g/km CO2 emissions with a reduction to 130 g/km coming from improved motor technology, which could include the additional consumption by Mobile Air Conditionng.
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A second scale is expected to show the car's "CO2 efficiency", a value calculated on parameters still to be defined. As a major change to an April proposal by Germany's Transport Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee, Gabriel's "climate passport" would not calculate the CO2 emissions in relation to the car’s work load. This point had sparked criticism from different stakeholders over the past months.
Reactions
While the Transport Ministry welcomed Gabriel's move to promote the emissions certificate, the VDA (German Association of the Automotive Industry) remained sceptic arguing that it would be more efficient to achieve EU-wide targets instead of opting for short-lived national standards, with VDA's new President Matthias Wissmann adding today: "There will be no German solo attempt [ regarding the EU CO2 emissions limit]."
The German environmental organisation Deutsche Umwelthilfe had already criticised the initial Tiefensee proposal classifying emission levels according to the model's weight classes as "consumer fraud", by stating that this would promote heavy vehicles.
Next steps
Gabriel's proposal will now be discussed with other ministries, among them the transport and economy ministries, as well as the car industry and the Federal Environment Agency, before moving ahead.
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