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‘EU carbon market not the right policy for cars, says Timmermans
(EurActiv, 9 Sep 2020) Road transport should not be top of the list when the European Union expands its carbon market into new sectors, the bloc’s climate policy chief said on Tuesday (8 September).
The European Commission will propose reforms to its carbon market next year, and has mooted the idea of extending the scheme, which forces some companies to buy permits to cover their pollution, into areas such as shipping, buildings and road transport.
“We’re certainly willing to look into this as a possibility, but at this stage, I personally am not convinced this is the right way forward,” said Frans Timmermans, of the idea of adding road transport to the EU carbon market.
Speaking at an online event hosted by the NGO Transport & Environment, he said the EU would further tighten the CO2 emissions targets it imposes on carmakers in the coming years, and that this was a “more efficient” method of forcing deep pollution cuts.
The 27-country bloc already tightened its car CO2 targets this year, in a bid to force carmakers to expand the share of low-emissions vehicles in their fleets.
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EurActiv, 9 Sep 2020: ‘EU carbon market not the right policy for cars, says Timmermans
