Skip to main content

EU having ‘intense’ discussions over ‘low-carbon mobility’ goals

According to Maroš Šefčovič, the Commission vice-president for the Energy Union, the European Commission is having “very intense discussions” with member states over the individual emissions reduction percentage that they will be assigned to reduce emissions in sectors not covered by the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), says Euractiv. Šefčovič devoted substantial attention to the situation in the non-ETS sector and to the issue of ‘low-carbon mobility’, or reducing emissions from transport. The non-ETS se
June 3, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
According to Maroš Šefčovič, the Commission vice-president for the Energy Union, the European Commission is having “very intense discussions” with member states over the individual emissions reduction percentage that they will be assigned to reduce emissions in sectors not covered by the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), says Euractiv.

Šefčovič devoted substantial attention to the situation in the non-ETS sector and to the issue of ‘low-carbon mobility’, or reducing emissions from transport. The non-ETS sectors refer to areas not covered by the Scheme for greenhouse gases, which currently covers mainly power generation and energy-intensive industries such as cement, chemicals and steelmaking.

Šefčovič stressed that without breakthroughs in new technologies, research and innovation, it would be a big challenge to achieve global targets for 2030, 2050, and to have a carbon-neutral economy by the end of the century, as EU countries committed to at COP21.

He said that the Pact of Amsterdam approved on 31 May was a very good setting for moving the agenda forward, thanks to bottom-up initiatives and involving mayors, who very much want to be part of this initiative, and NGOs.

The Pact of Amsterdam, which establishes the Urban Agenda for the EU, will focus on a more effective and coherent implementation of existing EU policies in cities in the fields of environment, transport and employment.

According to Šefčovič, under COP21, EU countries need to present their roadmaps for how they plan to achieve their climate goals up to 2050, and that a first stock-taking would take place in 2020. He added that at EU level, the effort-sharing decisions would be adopted before the summer break, in one legislative package on low-carbon mobility.

Šefčovič stated that the European Commission would be working very closely with the member states, once its effort-sharing proposal was on the table.

“Currently we are on a very intense discussion at political and technical level with our member states on what should be the percentage we would offer to each member state by which they would need to reduce GHG emission in non-ETS sector, meaning transport, agriculture and the buildings,” Šefčovič said.

Related Content

  • ITSWC 2021: New solutions for the new normal
    September 20, 2021
    October’s ITS World Congress in Hamburg will profile the changing face of mobility, with real-world examples of electric vehicle implementation, shared transport and autonomy taking centre stage
  • Confusion over electric motors for heavy trucks
    December 19, 2016
    According to Dr Peter Harrop of research company IDTechEx, there is still no agreement on the best type of electric motor to use in heavy trucks. The company’s analysis indicates that the booming, confusing traction motor business will rise to around US$400 billion in 2027. Its new report, Electric Motors for Electric Vehicles 2017-2027 navigates the jargon, the design options and the disagreements. The changing needs and evolving technology are matched to create forecasts and technology timelines based
  • MEPs call for mandatory emergency eCall system by 2015
    June 20, 2012
    By 2015, all new cars must be fitted with eCall devices to alert the rescue services automatically to road crashes through the public 112 emergency call system, say Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) in a resolution adopted jointly by the Internal Market and Transport Committees yesterday. This system would speed up the arrival of the emergency services, saving lives and reducing injuries, adds the non-binding resolution.
  • EU Commissioner Violeta Bulc launches European Mobility Week
    September 16, 2015
    European Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc will today inaugurate a series of sustainable transport activities at the launch of European Mobility Week, which takes place from 16 to 22 September at the European Parliament. Speaking ahead of the launch event, Bulc said: “European Mobility Week is a reminder that each and every one of us can make a difference. If we choose to walk or cycle more, to favour collective or public transport or to combine these sustainable modes, Europe as a whole can reap c