Group: Emissions cuts could cost EU jobs
A lobbying group representing European automakers warned Tuesday that EU proposals for cutting emissions of carbon dioxide could result in manufacturing job losses.
According to the European Commission, cars are responsible for about 12 percent of total emissions of CO2, the main greenhouse gas, in the 28-nation bloc.
“Overly stringent CO2 targets, as well as unrealistic sales quotas for battery electric vehicles, could lead to serious structural problems across the EU,” the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association said.
The ACEA cited a self-commissioned report, which claimed that because all-electric vehicles require fewer parts and maintenance, fewer workers will be required. The Brussels-based group said the auto industry accounts for over 11 percent of EU manufacturing employment.
The European Parliament’s environment committee is expected to vote next week on new emissions targets for the period after 2020.
The EU’s existing target is for new cars to have average CO2 emissions of 95 grams per kilometer by 2021 — equivalent to fuel efficiency of 57.4 miles per gallon. That is a drop of 40 percent from the 2007 average. So far, the industry is struggling to meet that target, with the average last year being over 118 grams.
The ACEA argues that requiring automakers to cut carbon emissions by a further 30 percent compared with 2021 — as is now being proposed — would be unrealistic.
Michael Cramer, a member of the European Parliament for Germany’s Green party, accused the ACEA of trying to panic lawmakers.
“The auto industry mustn’t make the mistakes made by the energy industry, which ignored renewable energy for decades,” he said.