Dorsman said it is “impossible for the industry to continue the process of greening the fleet, which was picking up speed before the [coronavirus] pandemic set in, should this continue”.

The European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) said the shipping industry has to recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic before it can commit to a green deal. ECSA secretary general Martin Dorsman urged the European Commission to assess the impact of the pandemic on the shipping industry and “work on a recovery plan, before stating that the European green deal is keeping to its deadline no matter what”. [….]

Carmakers are requesting that the European Commission “delay the application of certain rules” relating to CO2 emissions in the wake of coronavirus shutdowns across Europe.

Several car manufacturers have sent a letter to the European Commission, enquiring whether “certain rules” can be altered due to the situation created by the coronavirus outbreak.

It’s understood that the request relates to the tough CO2 emissions targets that were introduced for 2020, and if their full implementation can be delayed.

The rules stipulate that the average emissions of all the cars sold by a manufacturer from 2020 must not exceed 95g/km, and if they do, the company will be liable for hefty fines.

Now, though, with car factories and dealers in almost every European country shut down due to government-imposed social-distancing and lockdown measures, brands are concerned they won’t be able to sell the cars needed to meet the target.