Transport emissions on the rise

Significantly reducing CO2 emissions from transport will not be easy, as the rate of emission reductions has slowed. Other sectors have cut emissions since 1990, but as more people become more mobile, CO2 emissions from transport are increasing.

Efforts to improve the fuel efficiency of new cars are also slowing. After a steady decline, newly registered cars emitted on average 0.4 grammes of CO2 per kilometre more in 2017 than the year before.

To curb the trend, the EU is introducing new CO2 emission targets, which aim to cut harmful emissions from new cars and vans. MEPs adopted the new rules during the plenary session on 27 March. On 18 April, MEPs also approved a proposal to cut CO2 emissions from new trucks by 30% by 2030 compared to 2019 emission levels.