Ministers clash over car emission targets

Germany’s environment ministry suggests CO2 emissions from cars and light commercial vehicles should be halved

BERLIN: Germany’s transport minister has sharply criticised the country’s environment minister for planning tougher emissions rules for cars in the European Union as the government struggles to find a way to cut pollution while protecting jobs. “We don’t need arbitrary, political-ideological emission limits ..., but realistic, technically feasible limits,” Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer told Der Spiegel magazine.

Germany’s environment ministry has drawn up a position paper suggesting CO2 emissions from cars and light commercial vehicles should be halved by 2030 compared with 2021 levels, documents seen by Reuters. That compares with proposals from the European Commission for a 30% reduction. German Environment Minister Svenja Schulze also wants a 25% reduction by 2025 compared with a 15% decline envisaged by the European Commission.  

Published in The Express Tribune, June 10^th, 2018.

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