The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (Association des Constructeurs Européens d'Automobiles (ACEA) has underlined balancing automotive carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions reduction in the European Union with its competitiveness on the world stage. ACEA president Carlos Ghosn, who is also chief executive officer of Renault and Nissan, said in a speech on Friday (12 June) that "As Paris [France] and the world gear up for the COP21 global climate change conference, we must make sure that ambitious climate change policies do not conflict with the need to protect jobs and growth in Europe." He added that "No other industry sector has done as much as automotive to drive down CO2 emissions in recent years. EU political leaders should ensure equivalent conditions and targets for all industrial sectors in the future, taking actions where the greatest effects can be achieved at the lowest costs." Ghosn finished by saying "we believe that a balanced and comprehensive approach should make it possible to develop a policy framework that will allow us to drive down total road transport emissions further and faster...At the same time, we need to work with policy makers to protect jobs and growth. We will work constructively with EU policy makers to make this a reality."
Significance: Once again, the lobbying group for automakers in the EU has called for a reduction of the pressure implemented on it concerning the production of exhaust emissions. The sector is already gearing up from a further stiffening of measures on the turn of the decade when new fleet average emissions levels of 95 grams per kilometre (g/km) of CO2 are brought in 2021. However, there is some expectation that a further reduction will be undertaken beyond that point. ACEA is keen to point out that a lot of pressure is being put on to the sector, not helped by its visibility. It notes that by 2020 average emissions of new passenger cars will need to have been reduced by 39% compared to their 2005 level, against a 10% reduction from other non-European Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) sectors and a 21% reduction expected from ETS sectors in this timeframe. It has also pointed out that the reduction of emissions of road vehicles is focused on 5% of the fleet every year, made up of new vehicles. It remains to be seen if ACEA's lobbying can result in easing of the pressure or further support from politicians in the region going forward.
